THE first pair of school shoes could be a dim memory for many adults but a Jannali shop has been fitting and supplying school shoes for young Sutherland Shire feet for close to 34 years.
Owner of Wilson's Shoe Store Colleen Foster said the store specialised in school shoes and there were predictable trends in when people bought school shoes.
Mothers brought children starting school into the shop before Christmas whereas those older students going to high school left it to the last moment before the school term started, she said.
The other trend was the demand for brown school shoes which were worn in three or four of Sutherland Shire's schools, the remainder being black.
The choice of school shoes was also narrowed by principals who would not allow students to wear canvas shoes, sandshoes or ballet-type footwear if they were studying hospitality courses.
"People get surprised that we remove the shoes and undo the laces from the old shoes before we measure the feet and let the child walk in the new shoe," Mrs Foster said.
She said that with a small store with two cashiers and 10 sales staff it was important to serve people as quickly as possible.
The name of Wilson was not a family name but a trade name which harks back to when Mrs Foster's father ran a shoe store in Sydney's western suburbs.
Details: Wilson's Shoe Store, 9528 3359.
