London's Store

Where to find covetable designer footwear in London, for women and men

  • Kurt Geiger
    With several branches around town, Kurt Geiger has truly nailed the modern shoe-shopping experience with its mix of cheaper own brands (Carvela and KG) and cherry-picked designers (60-plus including Louboutin, Prada, Marc Jacobs). The South Molton Street store is the best – and most comfortable – for trying on multiple pairs.
    Best buy Carvela Kool sandals £35.
    65 South Molton St, W1 Bond St tube.

    Lollipop
    A shoe boudoir complete with plush velvet trying-on stool and chandeliers, there is always a satisfyingly wacky range of styles from designers like Beatrix Ong and Lulu Guinness.
    Best buy Wilomena snakeskin pumps £79.
    114 Islington High St, N1 Angel tube.
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    Poste Mistress
    Designed as an ever-so-posh powder room-cum-brothel, Poste Mistress’s solo store (it’s also an Office concession) is a must for shoe fetishists. It specialises in sexy dominatrix heels, but there’s also a good selection of hip trainers and Chloë Sevigny’s range for Opening Ceremony.
    Best buy Poste Mistress ‘Next to Wings’ peep toe £85
    61-63 Monmouth St, WC2 Covent Garden tube.

    The Old Curiosity Shop
    Built circa 1567, this creaking shop built from salvaged ships' timbers lays claim to the title of the oldest shop in London.These days you’ll find Japanese designer Daiko Kimura creating stunning avant-garde handmade shoes in his basement.
    Best buy Hogtoe shoes £250.
    13-14 Portsmouth St, WC2 Holborn tube.

    Georgina Goodman
    This swanky two-floor boutique on Bond Street is proudly the youngest brand on the street. Small but perfectly formed, it showcases Goodman’s sculptural, lovingly made high heels and flat shoes, long admired by shoe king Manolo Blahnik.
    Best buy Patent slipper £170.
    44 Old Bond St, W1  Green Park tube.

    Sniff
    This cute boutique offers style and affordability; established designers and Sniff’s own brand, featuring 1940s-inspired peep-toes and wedges.
    Sniff, 1 Great Titchfield St, W1 Oxford Circus tube.

    Church’s Shoes
    Church’s still manufactures all its shoes at the original Northampton factory; each shoe goes through a rigorous 250 stages of production, taking up to ten weeks to finish. The flagship store on Regent Street could easily pass for the headquarters of MI6 with its dark, polished wood, smell of expensive leather, and super-efficient staff.
    Best buy The Consul (traditional Oxford dress shoe) £270.
    201 Regent St, W1 Oxford Circus tube.

    John Lobb
    Originator of the expression ‘got a lob on?’, John Lobb was a Cornish farmboy who became a cobbler in Victorian London. Exquisitely made leather and crocodile shoes, and jodhpur boots.
    John Lobb, 9 St James’s St, SW1 Green Park tube.

    Black Truffle
    Black Truffle’s second boutique stocks super-cute styles from Chie Mihara, Arche, Paul & Joe, Trippen, Alberto Fermani, Loake and KTW.
    Best buy Chie Mihara sandals in yellow £165
    52 Warren St, W1 Warren St tube.

Best Shop in London

  • The winners and nominees feature in Time Out's London's 100 best shops. Two categories, however, are confined to the awards:  Best Fashion Market and Best Place to Lose Yourself for an Afternoon.

    And the winners are...
    Best Department Store
    Winner! Selfridges
    Runner-up John Lewis
    Nominees Harrods, Liberty, Harvey Nichols

    Best High-Street Store
    Winner! Topshop/Topman
    Runner-up Gap
    Nominees H&M, Primark, Uniqlo

    Best Fashion Boutique
    Winner! KJ’s Laundry
    Runner-up Aimé
    Nominees Diverse, Hub, Start

    Best Vintage/Retro Store
    Winner! Beyond Retro
    Runner-up Rellik
    Nominees Annie’s, Old Hat, Palette London

    Best Independent Interiors Store
    Winner! Twentytwentyone
    Runner-up Mint
    Nominees Aria, SCP, Bermondsey 167

    Best Shoe Shop
    Winner! Kurt Geiger
    Runner-up Poste Mistress
    Nominees Black Truffle, Georgina Goodman, Lollipop

    Best Menswear Store
    Winner! Library
    Runner-up B-Store
    Nominees Albam, A Butcher of Distinction, Sefton

    Best Fashion Market
    Winner! Old Spitalfields
    Runner-up Portobello Road
    Nominees Alfie’s Antique Market, Camden, Gray’s Antique Market

    Best Place to Lose Yourself for an Afternoon
    Winner! Columbia Road on a Sunday
    Runner-up Marylebone High Street
    Nominees Broadway Market, Camden Passage, Dover Street Market

    Most Weird and Wonderful
    Winner! T Fox & Co
    Runner-up G Baldwin & Co
    Nominees The Old Curiosity Shop, International Magic, Playlounge