Alameda Business Spotlight: Happy Feet Children's Shoes

Owners: Oanh and Steve Tran

When did you open in the new location? Friday, July 15. We were on Santa Clara for three years.

Why did you move? Our old location was fine, but we wanted to be in the heart of Park Street with more visibility. And this new store is a lot bigger — we have twice the space in the retail area. There’s a real need for a children’s shoe store here in Alameda, and people also find us from all over the Bay Area — San Mateo, San Francisco, Foster City, Antioch, even Livermore.

Pardon the pun, but has there been an increase in foot traffic? Definitely. We could see the difference right away. People who live here didn’t even know we were over there.

Are you able to offer more variety in footwear? Yes, we’re getting a bunch of new shoes in for back to school. I’m really excited about that. We’re getting more Umis. Girls love Mary Janes and we’re getting a bunch in fun colors, some with glitter or flowers. We’re also getting special Crocs called Chameleons that change color. In the shade, they’re one color. When you go out in the sun, they’re another. It’s wild!

Any specials coming up? We’re having something special for the . We’re doing a raffle with special drawings for gift certificates. And we’re giving away free Jibbitz when you buy a pair of Crocs.

Happy Feet is now located at 1354 Park St. New hours are Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.