Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Oddsox, Gloucester Road
For anyone wanting to give their business a-go without the looming fear of being pushed out by a chain store, can rely somewhat safely on Gloucester Road and it’s surrounding businesses to wrap you up in a metaphorical swaddle.
For Oddsox, the kids and adults shoe shop, the experience has been no different.
Joining the strip of independents in 2012, it has been a standfest feature of the streets ever-evolving tapestry. An alternative to Clarks if you will.
is needed now More than ever
Friends Jo Adamson and Sarah Chope say they opened the store after “seeing a gap in the market.” Having both not long moved to Bristol from London, they were ready for a career change.
Sarah adds “I had little ones and just couldn’t really find shoes.” And so the idea was born.
Before they knew it, they had hundreds of shoes on order and no physical shop yet.
Jo (left) and Sarah (Right) say for them August is their equivalent to Christmas, as kids get set to return to school
They tell me the shoes they stock are all made-to-order, almost eight months in advance. The pair are already purchasing their order for Autumn/Winter.
“We made a few mistakes, but not too many,” remarks Sarah on the bold move.
Clarifying that they are confident because they have got to know their customer base during their almost 13 years.
Many of their customers come in when their children are toddlers, so they are part of their growing journey from when they pick out their first pair of shoes to walk in.
The pair are very much focussed on ensuring the shop is as stress-free as possible for parents and children. One of the ways they do this is the small selection of toys in centre to keep kids happy and occupied.
Another way they ensure their customer’s shop is stress-free is allowing them to call ahead and book appointments.
While not essential, it does mean busy parents with small openings in their schedules can get seen to first on the shop’s most busiest of days.
They also offer parents of children with special education needs (SEN) a discount as a sort of act of solidarity they say.
The staff have all been professionally trained by the Society of Shoe Fitters, meaning they are experts in comfort.
They want to offer the “gold standard” of shoes
They are very select about the brands and their suppliers, choosing European supplies that align with their ethos, making it easier to ensure their supply-chain is sustainable.
They’ve also become incredibly passionate about the newly emerging trend of bare foot shoes.
They have a range of shoes for parents also
Speaking on their longevity, they say it was “quite a different area.”
The area now has a plethora of indie stores including Better Foods, Fig and Boston Tea Party, Jo adds “I think we really bounce off each other. When new shops come in it’s encouraging to them to see what everyone has achieved.”
They are well aware of the pressures on brick and mortar shops, with rising rent costs and the ease of online shopping reducing footfall.
But they’re assured that the service and guidance provided is preferential to ordering at a whim.
The store will be celebrating 13 years in March.
All photos: Hannah Massoudi
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