PROFILE
Independent Footwear Retailer of the Month
Jack Cheeseman, Footwear & Fashion Today Editor, talks to independent footwear retailer Angela Robinson, of Elizabeth Ann Shoes in Exeter.
Q&A
Name: Angela Robinson Shop: Elizabeth Ann Shoes, Exeter
Brands: Art, Paul Urban, Maria Lya to name a few
Q: How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? Angela: I have been in fashion and business for many years and decided to combine my business acumen with my passion for footwear!
Q: Tell us about your shop, the local area, your customers and their requirements? Angela: Our shop is definitely unique – it’s feminine, fashionable and classic but with a twist! Everyone should feel comfortable in their choice of footwear and we know our customers love wearing our shoes. We have a lot of visitors from Devon and Cornwall; in addition we have a huge number
of tourists from around the world who visit Exeter, and especially the cathedral, which is conveniently located right opposite the shop! There are also many lovely restaurants around this area which attract many people and parents visiting their children at Exeter University. During the Christmas period there is a Christmas market on the green, which also
attracts thousands of visitors to the area, so we do try to take full advantage of that busy period. We don’t currently sell online, but we find that
many customers call us to buy additional colours or seek advice on styles having seen our posts on Instagram.
Q: Do you have any famous customers? Angela: As you can imagine with our location we get many UK and international customers and some of those are known worldwide, but I couldn’t possibly divulge their names!
Q: How important is shoe fitting to your business? Angela: The fit of a customer’s shoes is absolutely key – whether it’s the foot or the leg. We have many customers who love the narrower tall boots we offer from some of our brands, and we sell a lot of tall boots as we cater for different leg sizes – but especially medium and narrow. We receive so many compliments from customers who have fallen in love with their new tall boots! The Art brand has a tall boot which is very popular as the stretch material fits a few different calf measurements, so we’ve noticed that doing quite well recently. Having said that, most of our sales are in loafers, sandals and sports-inspired shoes, which obviously don’t require any calf fitting but it’s still
44 • FOOTWEAR & FASHION TODAY • APRIL 2026
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