Matthews Shoes: Family-run Independent Shoe Shop in Christchurch

A familiar name on Christchurch High Street, Mathews Shoes has been helping local families find the right footwear for generations.

The independent family business stocks women’s, men’s and children’s shoes, school shoes, sports footwear and handbags, with a particular emphasis on fit, comfort and personal service. Many styles are available across different sizes, colours and width fittings, with the team on hand to help customers find footwear suited to their individual needs. 

Mathews Shoes has a particularly strong Christchurch story.

Gordon and Pat Mathews opened their first shoe shop in Purewell in 1957, trading as G & P Mathews, “Distinctive Footwear”. The business flourished and in 1971 the family moved to premises on Christchurch High Street, where it became Mathews Shoe Centre.

Their sons Tony and Guy later joined the family business, followed by the next generation. Tony’s children Sally and Paul have both been involved for many years: Paul specialising in the children’s footwear side of the business and Sally bringing previous experience managing Clarks stores to buying, displays and sales.

In 1986, the family opened one of the country’s early dedicated children’s footwear outlets. In 2018, a dedicated children’s department was incorporated into the refurbished Christchurch shop. Today, Mathews remains a third-generation family business with almost 70 years of footwear experience behind it.

There’s plenty to explore in store, whether you’re looking for everyday comfort, smarter shoes, something for the warmer months or footwear for growing feet.

Mathews currently offers women’s footwear, men’s footwear, children’s and school shoes, sports footwear and handbags. Its current brand selection includes Clarks, Skechers, Rieker, Ecco, Havaianas, Josef Seibel, Remonte, Caprice, Barker, Start-Rite, Geox, FitFlop and Birkenstock, alongside other ranges.

The selection covers different sizes and width fittings too, making the shop particularly useful for customers who find that buying footwear purely by size doesn’t always result in the right fit. 

Personal fitting remains an important part of Mathews Shoes.

The family recognises the importance of correctly fitted footwear and states that family members are members of the Society of Shoe Fitters. The wider footwear team is trained to offer advice on fit, style and individual footwear requirements.

Rather than simply choosing a size from the shelf, customers can get help comparing different fits and styles which is particularly useful when comfort or additional support is a priority.

Mathews has a long-standing specialism in children’s footwear, with a dedicated children’s department at its Christchurch shop.

The Kids Measure & Fit Service is available in store, with trained fitters helping to measure growing feet and find appropriately fitting footwear. No appointment is required for the service, although Mathews recommends booking during particularly busy periods such as the back-to-school season.

The current children’s selection includes brands such as Clarks, Skechers and Start-Rite, with school shoes forming an important part of the range.

Regular customers can join the Mathews Shoes loyalty scheme in store, providing discounts on future purchases as well as updates about special offers, sales and events.

Mathews also operates a car park refund scheme for customers. Ask the team in store for the current terms when visiting. There are several car parks around Christchurch High Street as well as some nearby on-street parking.