A SHOE shop boss on the southside has a whopping 500 pairs on offer to a charity who can give them a good home.


Pauline O’Donnell, former co-owner of legendary Glasgow restaurant The Sisters, has swapped fabulous food for fantastic footwear.


When she took on the running of McKay’s on Clarkston Road, she was gobsmacked to discover the women’s boots and shoes – gathered over the years from ends-of-lines and leftover stock – packed away in an assortment of bags and boxes.

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“Some of them must have been here for 20 years or more,” said Pauline. “They are great quality, never worn - literally left on the shelf. Most are in the bigger sizes, sevens and eights, but there are about 100 pairs, roughly, in the smaller sizes, threes to sixes.”
She added: “I’d love to donate them to a charity either here in Glasgow, or abroad – anyone who can guarantee they will be worn by people who need them. There’s a real mixture – leather boots, sandals, flip-flops. I’m sure someone could find a good home for them.”
The McKay family ran the shoe shop for almost five decades before handing over the reins to Pauline in the summer.
The former restaurateur, who previously ran East Kilbride’s acclaimed Lost Lamb restaurant and The Sisters in Anniesland, had been looking for a different opportunity and was immediately excited when the shoe shop came up.
“Buying shoes for a living, are you kidding?” she laughed. “The restaurant sector has had an unbelievably tough time in recent years, mainly because of Covid, and it is a difficult industry to work in. I was looking for a change and when this came up I thought it sounded great.”
After a refurbishment and a rebrand – the shop is now called 365 at McKay’s – Pauline has had a warm response from customers.
“Many people have been coming here for years, and their mothers and grandmothers came too,” she smiled.
“We have customers who come from all over Glasgow and beyond – one woman actually came in to buy eight pairs of boots and tell us she lived overseas, but always shopped at McKay’s when she was back in Scotland.”
Pauline added: “Some people just pop in for a chat, which is lovely. I think during the pandemic people really appreciated what was on their doorsteps a lot more, and shopping local became much more popular.
“It’s fantastic - there’s a great community spirit in this part of Cathcart.”
If you are a charity who can help, email pauline@365mckays.shoes or call 0141 637 8166.