Anne L. Francis

Great Shoes, Fun Store

When I shop for shoes for my preschooler, I look for sturdy yet stylish shoes made to survive more than a week's worth of pounding. And I always find what we need at Brooks Shoes for Kids in Presidio Heights.

Brooks offers an impressively wide selection of brand name shoes for infants, toddlers, and children, from moderate to expensive in price: Primigi, Adidas, Converse, Ecco, Keds, Naturino, Primigi, Puma, Stride Rite, Umi, and much, much more. Finding something your child will like is easy when there are so many options to try. And the staff is knowledgeable and friendly -- admirably adept at putting your kids at ease while expertly measuring their feet.

If you go on a weekend, you might have to wait a bit for help, especially right before lunch/nap time. But no worries while you wait -- there are plenty of toys to amuse your kids, including a play kitchen, blocks, and a foosball table. There are also fun accessories to check out such as hair clips, costumes, children's rolling luggage, etc. And if your kids need a bathroom break, no problem; the staff restroom is available -- just ask.

Brooks is open seven days a week. Like most small San Francisco stores, there's no parking lot, and finding an open meter on Sacramento can be challenging. But there's more metered parking and the JCC parking garage one block over on California Street. Brooks also has several other locations in California, and you can shop on their Web site.

So, if fashionable, well-made, and durable footwear for your kids is what you seek, check out Brooks.

Brooks Shoes for Kids
3307 Sacramento St.
San Francisco, California 94118
415-440-7559
http://www.brooksshoesforkids.com/

Stars: 4 out of 5