As a shoe lover herself, Laura Cooke knows exactly what women want in terms of quality, choice and personal customer service when it comes to shopping for shoes.

It's now a year since Laura opened her intimate shoe boutique, Heelz at Church Street, Athenry and business is going from strength to strength mainly through 'word of mouth' trade.

To celebrate the store's one-year anniversary, Laura will host a special evening for all her customers at Heelz on Friday 9 November. The shop will stay open until 9pm on the big night and guests will be served with wine and cheese.

The party atmosphere will continue at Heelz on Saturday 10 November with wine and cheese served to customers from 2pm and ten per cent off all purchases made all weekend.

"I initially came to Athenry with another job and I instantly loved the town and the people who live here. It was such a welcoming place that I knew I had found the ideal location to open my first business. One year later, I am delighted with how well the shop is going and I want to warmly thank all of my loyal customers for their business and, of course, to welcome many new customers to the store in the coming year," says Laura.

When she did her market research, Laura found that there were five boutiques in Athenry and only one other shoe shop, so there was a definite niche there for a contemporary new shoe shop. "Athenry is such a vibrant town now that people are coming here for their entire outfits, from hats to their shoes," she explains.

Laura, who lives in nearby Craughwell with her husband and young daughter, has always loved shoes and, as a mother, she knows how important it is to invest in good quality shoes for children. She stocks a wide range of fabulous shoes in all shapes and sizes for children and women of all ages.

"The main children's brand that we stock is Ricosta, one of the most popular and respected brand of children's shoes throughout Europe. These shoes are recommended by physiotherapists for young, growing feet. Also, as most parents of young girls will know, Lelli Kelly is one of the biggest shoe designers for girls and we will be stocking this exciting range in our spring summer collection in 2008."

Laura is well aware of how tastes in footwear can differ from woman to woman. Whether you are a funky lady or prefer a classically elegant style, Heelz can cater for your tastes and, very importantly, for your comfort requirements.