The Shoe People facts for kids

The Shoe People is a fun animated TV show that first aired in the UK in April 1987 on TV-am. It became super popular and was shown in 62 countries around the world!

This show was the first Western series to be broadcast in the former Soviet Union. It was so loved there that over 25 million Shoe People books were sold!

The Shoe People was created by James Driscoll. He got the idea by noticing how people's shoes often showed a bit about their personality. He then wondered what stories these shoes could tell about themselves, from when they were brand new to when they were old and worn out.

The catchy theme song for the show was written and sung by Justin Hayward from the band The Moody Blues.

The Magical Story of Shoe Town

In a cozy shoe repair shop, a kind shoe mender tries his best to fix all the shoes he gets. But sometimes, some shoes are just too worn out to be repaired. Instead of throwing them away, he carefully places them in a secret back room.

These shoes join others that their owners never came back for. This back room holds a special secret! Every night, after the shoe mender locks up, he makes sure the back room door is tightly shut. This door is a bit tricky, and when he slams it closed, something amazing happens. A big cloud of dust fills the air, and when it clears, the shoes magically come to life! The back wall of the room disappears, and in its place, the wonderful Shoe Town appears.

Shoe Town is a lively place where all these special shoes and boots live, nestled just below Toecap Hill.

The voices for the characters were done by Philip Whitchurch and Jo Wyatt. Jo voiced the female characters in the second series, The New Adventures of the Shoe People, while Philip voiced all the male characters.

Meet the Shoe People Characters

Original Characters

• P.C. Boot - He's the policeman of Shoe Town and lives in the 'Shoe Street Police Station'. He's very dedicated to keeping law and order. He's formal and sometimes over-explains things, which can annoy others. He speaks with a slight lisp.
• Charlie - Living in a circus tent called 'The Little Big Top', Charlie is a clown. He loves doing magic tricks and juggling, but most of all, he loves making everyone laugh! You have to be careful when talking to him, as he might pull a funny face or squirt water from his fake flower. He often has clever ideas to help his friends.
• Trampy - A worn-out, scruffy Irish boot with a hole in his toe. He lives next to Charlie in 'Tumbledown House', which looks a bit messy. He loves to relax and enjoy his wild garden. Trampy is kind and friendly, always trying to keep the peace. He enjoys walks with Margot and Baby Bootee, telling them stories.
• Sergeant Major - He lives in 'Drill Hall' and still acts like he's in the army. He loves everything to be super neat and tidy and often shouts! His garden is perfectly mown. He gets annoyed by Trampy's messy garden next door but rarely does anything about it. He calls Charlie "Stupid Clown" but secretly enjoys his circus acts. Despite his grumpy nature, he has a soft side.
• Margot - A graceful ballerina who lives in Swan Lake Cottage and loves to dance. She looks after Baby Bootee. When she first arrived at the shop, she had a big tear, but the shoe mender fixed her. She now loves putting on shows for her friends in Shoe Town.
• Wellington - He loves being wet and lives in 'Puddle Villa'. He enjoys water so much that he's drilled holes in his house's guttering to stand under when it rains! He doesn't like being called "Welly."
• Baby Bootee - Margot looks after her at Swan Lake Cottage. She doesn't do much, but she loves the Teddy bear that Charlie won for her at the fair.
• Sneaker - He likes to sneak around and sometimes takes things without asking. He looks a bit like a burglar and has a sneaky voice. He also does odd jobs for people. There's even a "wanted" poster of him outside the police station! His catchphrase is, "Sneaker by name, sneaker by nature!"
• Gilda Van Der Clog - A Dutch clog who lives in a windmill. She once needed Charlie and P.C. Boot's help to remove a bird's nest from her windmill sails.
• Flip Flop - A flip-flop who went to the seaside with Trampy, Sergeant Major, Baby Bootee, and Charlie. When she was swept away by the tide, Charlie and Trampy bravely rescued her.
• Mr Potter - The station master at The Shoe Town Railway Station. He once called P.C. Boot to warn about a fallen tree on the tracks, almost canceling a trip. Charlie, with an elephant's help, saved the day!
• Sid Slipper - An elderly slipper who enjoys visiting the park with the Shoe People. In The New Adventures of the Shoe People, he has his own garden.
• Marshall - A cowboy who loves country and western music and Wild West films. He helps keep Shoe Town safe.

New Characters

• Beverley - An American beauty from LA who comes to Shoe Town. She loves cheerleading and has a lovely blonde ponytail and earrings.
• Bebop and Alula - This 1950s couple loves to dance to rock 'n' roll music. Bebop has hair like Elvis Presley, and Alula wears her hair in a ponytail. They are a bit like Danny and Sandy from the musical Grease.
• Morris - A miner who works underground in Shoe Town. He loves digging and has a light on his hard hat.
• Toby - The best actor in the world! He loves theatrical things and has a great personality, often performing works by Shakespeare.
• Dr. Merryweather - The doctor in Shoe Town who takes care of everyone and helps them feel better.
• Sacha - A Russian boot who comes all the way from Russia.
• Farmer Fred - A farmer who works on the farm.
• Coach - He loves sports, especially baseball.
• Officer Malone - A police officer from New York City who works with P.C. Boot. When he first arrived, he mistakenly arrested some Shoe People, but P.C. Boot explained that the real troublemakers were the Boot Boys.
• The Boot Boys - A group of three roller skates, sometimes called The Rollerskate Gang. They are Spike (the leader), Ace (the silly one), and Rowdy (the dopey one). They love causing trouble in Shoe Town and are always up to no good.

Original Episodes

The first series had 26 episodes. They were shown on TV-am as part of its 'Wide Awake Club' starting in April 1987.

The New Adventures of the Shoe People

A second series, called The New Adventures of the Shoe People, introduced many new characters. It was broadcast on TVAM in 1992.

The Shoe People in America

The Shoe People was also shown in the United States on Nickelodeon. It was a part of their TV series for preschoolers called Eureeka's Castle. For the American audience, the show was re-recorded with American accents and a female narrator. A female voice actress was added to the cast too.

Changes for Nick Jr. (UK)

When all 26 episodes of the 1987 The Shoe People series aired on Nick Jr. in the UK from 2001 to 2002, some changes were made. The original copyright from Fairwater Films/The Shoe People Ltd was replaced with FilmFair Ltd. This was done after restoration by CiNAR Studios UK. You can see FilmFair's copyright at the end of each episode on The Shoe People Complete Series DVD. The same FilmFair copyright screen also appeared on the 1992 series when it aired on Nick Jr. in spring 2002.

The Shoe People on Video

After the show first aired in 1987, many episodes of The Shoe People were released on VHS video tapes by Tempo Video. Later, other companies like W.m. Collins Sons and Co.Ltd and Wienerworld Presentations also released special collections of the episodes.

While there were no video releases for The New Adventures of the Shoe People (the 1992 series), the first series is available on DVD. Besides videos, there were also Shoe People books, plush toys, and even a special chocolate bar from Cadbury!

Show Titles Around the World

• English: The Shoe People (1987–1988)
• Welsh: Pobl Tresgidie (1994)
• Serbian and Croatian: Cipelići (1993)
• Russian : Город башмачков
• Slovenian: Šolenčki

Computer Game Fun

A children's educational computer game called First Class with the Shoe People was released in 1991. It was made by Gremlin Interactive and could be played on different computer systems.