Bowleys Fine Shoes, Northwood

Very well stocked, long-standing and friendly local shoe shop. Has a very good selection, and great service. Good to support them. Just cannot buy shoes online - need to see them and try them on

Be aware of their refund policy which is not obvious in the store. Basically you are trapped with their products which are usually overpriced. They would only offer you with a credit note or exchange. You are better off to buy from reputable stores selling the same products with guaranteed refund!

I wasn't too impressed unfortunately. The selection on display was quite poor and no indication of what sizes the shoes came in, and the stock levels were low too. What is the point of asking customers to look at the display and say which ones you want if there are only a few options in stock in the right size? I am not convinced that one of the pairs is the right size either. I had hoped for a better experience than in Clarks, but won't be going back.

Where do I start? Visited today as I wanted to buy a pair of sandals I had seen in the windows (£95 btw) , a pair of shoes and a pair of trainers for my 5 year- old, and wanted to have my one year-old shoes measured in order to get him a couple of pairs too. I entered the shop, said hello but no-one responded. There were 2 other elderly customers in the shop, and two sale-women. I navigated my pushchair around, tried to grab the attention of a member of staff, nothing. After a while I decided to go downstairs to check the children's section. I sat on the sofa downstairs with my baby, and when the lady came out of the staffroom, I started to say "Would it be possible..." and got cut off straight away with a "We are very busy!"! So I decided to take my son and leave, telling her how rude they had been from the start and that I was obviously not her type of customer (dont judge a book by its cover, my husband and I do pretty well for ourselves, and even though I look 16 I am actually 35), she kept on asking me to repeat, until she said "I cannot understand you!". Well I do have an accent yes, I am French but have lived here for 12 years and I can assure you I am well understood everywhere I go. At that point I must admit I lost my cool and let slipped a "old witch". Being treated so rudely in front of her "very busy" shop full of 2 customers because of her assumption about my payslip got to me. (However I did confess to this when I called the head office to file a complaint). This sales-person then followed me outside and in front of a terrace full of customers, in the street, shouted at me not to ever come back to her store. As if I was some kind of thief, and not a customer ready to fork out around £250 in a local quality shoe shop and who had been treated so rudely by staff who ovbiously do not understand what working in sales entails. Waiting to hear back from Johnson's shoes head office. Johne Lewis it is then.

I have been a regular customer for 22 years. Always fitted my daughter's school shoes out. 10th pair is free! I have awkward feet and Clark's don't fit me. I buy most of my shoes there as they have a variety of different makes. If we don't use our local shops we will lose them!