A three-decade veteran of the inner-Fortitude Valley retail scene has been rewarded for his faith in the precinct after a forced relocation.
Barry Toombs had operated Downes Shoe Repairs in the famous old Apothecaries Hall building in Ann Street for more than 30 years until its redevelopment as part of the Bakery Lane project had him looking for new premises.
He kept his faith in the Valley, relocating his business to 70 Wickham Street a little closer to the city as Downes Shoes and Repair."As it turned out, we had outgrown the other store anyway, so the move was a positive one in that regard," Barry told us.
"And after we’d been in the new shop for six months, the business was going so well we asked ourselves: Why didn’t we do this five years ago!"
The new location allows Barry and his funky staff, pictured left putting their best boots forward, to better display some of the Doc Marten range of footwear that the store’s reputation has been largely based on for many years.
When Barry moved out of Ann Street, it had been the oldest same-name businesses in the oldest shop in Queensland.
Barry was only the second owner of the business since the Downes family started it in the 1880s. And just as the second owner promised the family to keep the name and its old-fashioned level of customer service, Barry gladly did the same when he took over in the early 1980s.
He ran it purely as a shoe repair business for a while but after some years, begun to investigate retail footwear options. Further down the track came his interest in Doc Martens footwear. His store is now so well linked to that brand that Barry is happy to report that his loyal band of customers have eagerly found their way to his new location.
Although other stores stock Doc Martens, Barry’s boast is that Downes Shoes has the best range of rare and limited Docs around. The store also has a wide range of other brands, including Blundstones.
Trading hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. Their phone number is 3252 2521 and on-street parking is available near the store.
- Don Gordon-Brown
