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Footprints steps into a new era as North Shoes in Peterborough


IT is getting a new name – but it will be business as usual at our Peterborough shoe store.

Footprints at 10 Westgate will be known as North Shoes to reflect the fact that it is no longer just a children’s and ladies’ shoe store, but now offers men’s footwear, too.

Customers can be assured of the same level of expertise and customer service that we are renowned for, with manageress Rosemary Gray - who has worked in the premises since they became a shoe store in 1987 - still at the helm.

Rosemary joined in November 1987 when E Reynolds and Son took over the building as a children’s shoe shop. It became known as Footprints in April 2000.

Bourne-based North Shoes took over Footprints in 2009. As a family shoe company running for 135 years we’ve built a solid reputation as fitting specialists.

Owner James North says: “We have added men’s shoes to the mix in Peterborough by popular demand, making it a shop for men’s, ladies and children’s footwear. It makes sense to brand it North Shoes, just like our other shops at Stamford and Bourne.

“We have the same team and quality customer service at Peterborough, although we have revamped the shop internally and externally and added more brands to the mix to enhance the offering, as we have in Bourne and Stamford.”

The staff at North Shoes really do know what they’re talking about – they’re all trained by the Society of Shoe Fitters and are experts in children’s and adults’ specialist footwear needs.
On the shelves, you’ll still find children’s brands by Ricosta, Start-rite, Geox, Primigi, Lelli Kelly, Kickers, Converse, Fitflop and Petasil and ladies’ footwear by Reiker , Ecco, Hotter, Van Dal , Easy B, Converse, Fitflop, Padders, Zodiaco, Remonte and Waldlaufer.

But they’ve now been joined by men’s brands Rieker, Anatomic and Easy B.

The store is still open from 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday, and from 11am-3pm on Sundays.

YAKTRAX, the ice grip that’s taken the footwear world by storm, is available for children, too.
The Yaktrax Walker comes in Extra Small size – UK sizes 12 to 3 – to help protect your children from accidents on pavements covered with ice or packed snow.

The Walker is so easy to fit – it stretches over the shoe or boot sole – and is proven to provide extra traction in even extreme wintry conditions. So, whether you’ve got to pop to the shops or take the dog for a walk, the children can go with mum and dad in safety.

The Walker is the original version of Yaktrax and has over ten years of proven effectiveness in ice and packed snow.

For more advice, contact the footwear fitting specialists at North Shoes on 01778 422886 or visit www.northshoes.co.uk

For around ten years North Shoes & Footprints customers in Bourne & Peterborough have helped to make a real difference to youngsters living in poverty in Kosovo with a simple idea – and now we're bringing it to Stamford through the North Shoes store at 2 Red Lion Square.

Unwanted children’s shoes form part of humanitarian aid convoys going to Kosovo twice a year through Essex-based charity Hope and Aid Direct. James North estimates his customers have provided between 5,000 and 6,000 pairs – and now he’s calling on Stamford people to join the effort.

He says: “My customers at Bourne and Peterborough have been brilliant over the years and now that we’ve opened a store in Stamford I’d love the people here to get behind it, too.

“When they come in to buy new shoes for their children I want to encourage them to leave the old shoes with us. We collect them and pass them on to Hope and Aid Direct through the Rotary Club of Peterborough Minster.

“I’d urge people to bring them in to the shop - please don’t just leave them outside in bags where they could become a hazard. We’re open from 9am-5.30pm, Monday-Saturday.

“It’s such a waste if old shoes, plimsolls and trainers are thrown away. In most cases children just grow out of them. Footwear is such a basic element that we take it for granted - yet it has such a bearing on your posture and your demeanour.”

Shoes have a real impact on the lives of children whose families were left in dire poverty after the 1998-99 Kosovon War – and Hope and Aid Direct cannot get enough of them. Co-founder Charles Storer says: “Imagine what your life would be like without shoes. They are so fundamental – but we cannot have too many for a country where millions of people live in conditions we wouldn’t put our animals in.

“It may be 2011 and Kosovo is only two hours away by plane, but 45% of the people there live in poverty in huts and shacks. Quite simply the children do not have shoes.

“In this country nearly every home has a car – in Kosovo there’s barely one car per village so people have to walk everywhere and without shoes children cannot go to school.

“If they go to school without shoes they are turned away – and in spring, autumn and winter when it’s muddy they have to take their shoes off and change into soft shoes, otherwise the schools would get filthy.

“So, please give plimsolls and trainers, too, as well as your children’s old shoes – but please respect the pride of the people over there and make sure the shoes are usable and not dirty and worn out.”

You can find out more about the work of Hope and Aid Direct and check on the progress of their latest aid convoy at www.hopeandaiddirect.org.uk

THE colder it got during winter 2010-11, the hotter Yaktrax became. The American-designed lightweight ice grips that fit over your regular shoes and boots sold in their tens of thousands in the UK last year – and we sold hundreds and hundreds of pairs at www.northshoes.co.uk after they were featured in the Daily Mail last December.

There’s no doubt North Shoes will sell out of them again this winter – so beat the rush and order a pair with us now. Weather experts are suggesting we may experience snow in October this year – whether or not that happens, we’re being warned to expect some brutal weather between December and February. Stay one step ahead and get Yaktrax ice grips for your shoes – they’ll ensure you keep your feet while everyone around you is on the slide!

Give us a call at North Shoes on 01778 422886 or visit www.northshoes.co.uk to find out more and place an order.

NORTH Shoes have received a massive thumbs-up from the people of Stamford after opening their new shoe shop in the town. The Bourne based family firm opened at 2 Red Lion Square at the end of July and James North, the fifth generation at the head of the company, which has been trading for 134 years, said they have been overwhelmed by the messages of support they have received. He added: “We’ve had a great welcome from the people of Stamford. They’ve sent us cards and flowers and we’ve had hundreds of lovely comments. “The response has been amazing. People keep saying, time and again, ‘at last, a proper shoe shop in town’ and how good it is to have the brands they want available.”

You’re so light Glagla Shoes

WE’VE seen a lot of developments over the years in footwear here at North Shoes – but Glagla Shoes are phenomenal.

The French-designed shoes are taking the world by storm – because, when you’re wearing them, it’s just like walking barefoot.

They’re so light – less than 6 ounces (170 gms). Their unique technology allows total circulation of air, keeping your feet cool (11 deg F lower than normal sneakers). And they reduce perspiration by 50 per cent.

The sneaker-style design is popular with women, men and children. You can wear them with or without socks – and their quick-tying techniques mean they’re so quick and easy to put on.
They are THE summer shoes – perfect for the beach, walking, cycling, watersports (they have non-slip soles and feature the same fabric used in diving equipment), driving, fitness activities like zumba dance and aerobic classes, river walks; and they’re so comfortable you can even wear them in the home like a slipper!

They’re machine washable at 30 degrees and so quick drying – great if you’re wanting to use them all week.

Come and try them on at North Shoes in Bourne – you won’t want to take them off!

As you can no doubt tell, we're really excited about our new store opening in Red Lion Square, Stamford - and here's the front page of the Mercury with news of the opening:

STAMFORD is to get a new shoe store.

The long-standing Lincolnshire family firm North Shoes opens at 2 Red Lion Square, Stamford – the former Soloro premises – the end of July. The move has created a vacancy for a shop assistant and marks the fulfillment of an ambition for company boss James North.

The Bourne-based company has been trading since 1876 and when James took over the running of the company in 2008 – the fifth generation of the family at the helm – he targeted Peterborough and Stamford as sites for expansion.

He said: “When I took over it was my aim to have shops in Peterborough and Stamford. We launched in Peterborough in 2009 and now we’re opening in Stamford. I’m very excited about it. Stamford is a busy shopping town and our shop is in a prime position. As fitting specialists I feel we have something extra to bring to Stamford.”

Lee Marshall Rose, who has worked at North Shoes’ Bourne store for five years, will be manageress of the new venture. She will be joined by Dianne Walker, from the company’s Peterborough store Footprints, who has been fitting children’s shoes for 24 years. The move to Stamford has also created a vacancy for another assistant and the three will be supported by Michelle North, who has 35 years’ experience, and James North himself.

Lee and Dianne have been trained by the Society of Shoe Fitters. James says: “They are both very experienced. North Shoes are ladies’ and children’s footwear fitting specialists and the new store will certainly live up to the company’s reputation.”

The store will cater for ladies, mens and children in a whole range of width fittings – from C to H – and feature a host of well-known, brands, including Hotter, Rieker, Ecco, Van Dal, Geox, Romika, Converse, Paul Green and Fitflop for women, Loake, Rieker, Anatomic and Hotter for men, and Start Rite, Geox, Petasil, Ricosta, Converse and Fitflop for children. It will specialise in fitting orthotics for children’s and adults shoes.

The North family began selling shoes in 1876 when shoemaker William North opened a shop in North Street, Bourne – where the company still trades today.

To find out more about North Shoes, visit www.northshoes.co.uk

Everyone's asking what the hot FitFlops are for Summer 2011 - a short video from James North explains why Rokkit FitFlops are this summer's must-have pair.

A recent survey revealed up to 4m children in the UK are wearing incorrectly fitting shoes.  Here's another short video from James North - with 3 quick tips on how to make sure your children's shoes are correctly fitted.