Gibbs Shoes owner Kate Robb is the fifth generation of her family working in the footwear trade.

It was her great grandfather George Gibbs who bought an existing shoe shop, Miss Jones' Shoe Emporium, in Hall Place, Spalding, in 1908.

Some 110 years later, Kate is trading from the same premises and following in the footsteps of previous generations, father Bernard, grandfather Frederick and, of course, great grandfather George.

When it first opened, Gibbs Shoes had a sign outside declaring it was established in 1800.

George's father had been a shoemaker in Evesham, Worcestershire.

"My great grandfather moved to Spalding and actually bought the existing shoe business," said Kate. "He wasn't particularly interested in selling shoes. He liked to make violins. He spent a lot of time in the shoe shop's workshop making violins and his wife actually ran the shoe business."

Kate has a ledger showing the first week's takings in 1908 - £35 and 13s (£35.65) - and that would be equal to £1,594.83 today.

She says: "I have got the original invoice register. They were buying shoes in from Clarks and Lotus and they are brands that we still stock."

Frederick expanded the business to Wisbech and Peterborough but both shops have since closed.

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Kate Robb's great-grandfather, George Gibbs, who founded the family business in 1908 - with George are his wife and a staff member.

Kate says the Peterborough shop was compulsorily purchased when Queensgate Shopping Centre opened, which led to a new branch launching in Ely and that remains open.

Her father, Bernard, learned his craft in the Norvic shoe factory in Norwich and in a shoe retailer's in Bond Street, London.

Kate joined the family firm in the 80s.

She says the family firm will continue "as long as I keep going and as long as there's family interested in running it".

Kate has two sons, Daniel and Jack, but it is daughter Emma who is showing all the signs of inheriting the family's footwear genes.

Emma studied shoe design at university and has worked in Lucy Choi's shop - Lucy is the niece of celebrated designer Jimmy Choo.

Gibbs have always prided themselves on supplying good quality, well fitting shoes.

"We are not a high fashion retailer," says Kate, who also explains why the firm has steered clear of selling on the Internet.

She says: "I fundamentally believe you need to try a pair of shoes on. Every pair is different, every pair of feet is different and you can't possibly buy a good quality, well-fitting pair of shoes over the Internet."

Ill-fitting and poor quality shoes, she says, can spark knee and back problems - even headaches - and there needs to be a cushioning effect to lessen the impact on the body when walking.

Generations of Kate's family have supplied shoes to generations of South Holland families, including countless children whose feet would be expertly measured.

In the early days the choice was limited.

"I suppose the selection was fairly basic," says Kate. "Black shoes and brown shoes and they were all pretty much constructed in the same way, whereas now we have such a variety of styles and colours and construction techniques and people have unlimited choice."

Currently the most expensive pair of shoes at Gibbs would be £225 for a pair of Loakes but Kate says slipping down the price range to a more modest £50 would still get you a pair of "reasonable quality" shoes.

Fashions have come and gone, such as platform shoes in the 70s, but one thing has stayed in fashion for more than a century - top notch, expert service.

Including manager Mary Moore, there are five team members at the Spalding branch.

Kate says: "We have got a very loyal staff and we have got some very loyal customers."

Life on the High Street now is very different because of the Internet.

Kate explains: "At the moment we are just ticking along. Retail is just very hard work at the moment.

"I think until the High Street reinvents itself - and Internet shopping just plateaus out a little bit - it is going to be tough."