search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Q&A


Independent Footwear Retailer of the Month


Cheryl Taylor talks to ladies’ and children’s footwear retailer, Teresa Hutchinson, of Soles with Heart in West Malling, Kent.


Q&A


Name: Teresa Hutchinson Shop: Soles with Heart, West Malling


Brands: Ladies: Vionic, Tamaris, and Lotus. Children’s: Ricosta and Froddo


Q: How did you get into footwear? Tell us about your background and your current business? A: My first job when I was 15 was working in the shoe shop Freeman Hardy Willis in my hometown of Canterbury. I worked there for nearly three years and ended up running the men’s department. It was from there I knew


I enjoyed working with shoes, although I left to train to become a chef, which is a career I stayed in for another 30 years on and off. Whilst working in a pub in West Malling I became a frequent customer


of Soles with Heart and got to know the owner and the staff very well. So, it was no surprise when the previous owner told me her plans to move abroad and that she was selling the business. I knew instantly this was my opportunity to get back into the job I truly love. So, in September 2019, with the help of the Society of Shoe Fitters and months of training I was ready to make my dreams come true and run my very own shoe shop.


Q: Tell us about your store, your staff, and the local area and your typical type of customer? A: My shop is in the heart of West Malling in Kent, which offers other independent outlets and this makes us a little bit different from the normal towns around. Whether you need shoes, clothes or gifts, or to get your nails or hair done, or you want to go out for a lovely meal, West Malling offers it all!


54 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • FEBRUARY 2024


DOWNLOAD THE FOOTWEAR TODAY APP NOW SPONSORED BY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64