At Start-Rite, we are proud to support independent shoe shops across the country who keep us present on the high-street. We trust these independent retailers, such as North Shoes, to be our voice and represent our brand values from within their local community. We’re excited to focus our next installment in the ‘Retailer Spotlight’ series on this Lincolnshire/Northamptonshire business. We spoke to the Managing Director, James North, a fifth generation North to have managed the business.
North Shoes’ first shop opened and began trading in 1876 in Bourne, about 15 miles north of Peterborough, and they still trade out of the original premise. As well as this store, they also have two others in the nearby towns of Stamford and Oundle, with the Bourne and Oundle stores also functioning as a Foot Health clinic, and they have a standalone clinic in Sleaford (NC Foothealth). The ethos of the business has not changed in the last 150 years; to provide quality footwear with honest dedicated customer service.
James explained: “We’ve been proudly stocking Start-Rite shoes as far back as the 1950’s. We specialise in selling well-fitted shoes and Start-Rite’s offering of whole and half sizes across a wide range of styles is perfect for a fitting house such as us. It’s a great British brand. In terms of the current Start-Rite collection, the ‘Impulsive’ black girls shoe is my favourite. Heavy soles are particularly popular at the moment and this style delivers that whilst still being very soft material and coming in plenty of width options.”
In order for a quality shoe to fit as it should and provide the necessary protection for children’s feet, a quality fitting experience goes hand in hand. With this in mind, it was no surprise to learn that all the staff at North Shoes undertake the necessary steps to gain a ‘Society of Shoe Fitters’ qualification, ensuring that they are trained to the highest standards. James told us that this involves a prolonged, structured period of home learning and multiple visits to societies’ base in London as part of the course.
There are few independent businesses who understand the importance of quality in children’s shoes more than North Shoes, as evidenced by their Foot Health clinics. Many of the older patients which are seen to at the clinic are found to have issues that precipitate from long-standing foot health problems caused by their footwear when they were developing. Stocking quality brands such as Start-Rite and fitting children with the footwear their developing body needs is of utmost importance to North Shoes.
The business currently has its 6th generation of the family working on the shop floor, with James’s children Jasmine and Freddie learning the family trade. James expressed that the company is invested in supporting the local community through charitable causes; sponsoring raffle prizes at local nurseries and working with local primary schools is always high on the agenda. Beyond that, North Shoes also supports the local Air Ambulance, ‘Arthritis for Children’ and ‘Don’t Lose Hope’, a professional counselling service.
Author: Vista, published 23-07-2024.
