Celerie Kemble in Urban Baby - March 17, 2006

Shoes Shine

It's a fine line between a healthy respect for sensible footwear and a full-on shoe fetish. But with the opening of the West Village's Shoe Garden, you'll be able to satisfy both sides of your personality with every imaginable sneaker, sandal and slip-on for your tot's growing feet.
 
This full service shoe store is the brainchild of Mary McFadden, a local mom of three, who saw the need for a hip emporium that would cater to kids (and their picky parents) with everything from casual to couture foot gear.  With over two hundred styles for pre-walkers up to size three from such leading European brands as Primigi, Aster, Baby Botte and Naturino, plus American basics (it's hard to beat Teva sandals for summer), and hot newcomers like Boppy, The Shoe Garden makes the whole shopping experience - dare we say it? - relaxing.
 
The setting - courtesy of noted interior designer Celerie Kemble - is a mix of fun features including grass-turf flooring, tiny fish tanks, glittering starburst chandeliers, "Lizzie" the Australian bearded dragon, and moving in very soon - a real live lizard. All of which are guaranteed to capture a child's imagination.

There are no numbers to take, no throngs of screaming toddlers, just knowledgeable salespeople who understand the importance of properly fitted shoes. The approach here is old school: precise foot measurement, record keeping for sizing, plus balloons and assorted treats that all make for a happy shoe-buying experience.
 
And if the array of contemporary kicks weren't enough, Ms. McFadden is committed to being "green" (the leafy theme continues) and a portion of all proceeds are marked for park plantings and neighborhood improvements. 
 
It's nice to know that when it comes to having well-shod kids, you can mix the practical with platforms, the functional with the fanciful flip-flop. At The Shoe Garden, form really does follow function.