Shoes and accessories in Palo Alto

Palo Alto walks and runs a lot. Its shoe shopping reflects that. The strongest categories are running shoes, hiking and work footwear and the accessories sold by the handbag and leather brands at Stanford Shopping Center. One family shop on California Avenue has repaired the city's shoes for more than eight decades. Dress shoe specialists are thinner on the ground, so department stores fill that gap.

This page names 13 stores, grouped by area, with a neutral description and a link to each directory listing or official store page. We do not rank stores or discuss prices. For fine jewelry and watches, see our jewelry and watches guide. For sunglasses, see our eyewear guide.

Downtown and California Avenue

• KEEN Garage: KEEN's own store at 278 University Avenue for hiking, work, casual and kids' footwear, with fittings and member perks.
• Fjällräven: the Swedish brand's store at 230 University Avenue, with backpacks, bags and outdoor accessories, plus custom backpack fittings.
• The Cobblery: a family-owned shoe store and repair shop at 410 California Avenue since 1940, with resoling, leather work, alterations and a small range of shoes and socks.

The Cobblery is run by the fourth generation of its family. It repairs shoes, bags and other leather goods and alters clothing. If you live out of town, it accepts mail-in repairs and returns them by UPS. KEEN Garage fits shoes in store, which helps with children's sizes. Our California Avenue guide and University Avenue guide cover the rest of each street.

Stanford Shopping Center: shoes

• On: the Swiss running brand's store at 180 El Camino Real, Space 6-A, selling its latest shoe and apparel collections and hosting local events.
• New Balance: a full-collection store at 840B Stanford Shopping Center with running and lifestyle shoes, a 3D foot scanner and trade-ins.
• Nordstrom: the center's department store at 550 Stanford Shopping Center, selling fashion, shoes and beauty, with alterations and order pickup.
• Macy's: a three-floor department store whose men's department includes shoes alongside suits and sportswear, with women's and kids' departments.

The two running brands are the closest thing Palo Alto has to a dedicated running shoe store. New Balance's trade-in program accepts used shoes for vouchers, according to its store page. Department stores remain the best bet for dress shoes and a wide range of brands under one roof. Several clothing stores also sell their own shoes, including ZEGNA, Tory Burch, Anthropologie and Free People. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers parking and layout.

Stanford Shopping Center: bags, belts and leather goods

• Coach: the New York brand's handbags, wallets, shoes and clothing on the Garden Walk, with styling, repairs and pickup.
• Cuyana: the brand's leather bags, small leather goods and clothing, with monogramming, same-day delivery and styling appointments.
• Tory Burch: the designer's handbags, shoes, jewelry and ready-to-wear, with personal styling and a gift concierge.
• Brighton Collectibles: the California brand's jewelry, charms, handbags, belts, watches and gifts, on the Sand Hill Road side of the center.
• Gorjana: everyday solid gold and gold-plated jewelry near Anthropologie, with in-store stylists and gift wrap.

Brighton began in 1991 with a collection of belts and still sells them. Coach lists repairs for its own bags, which is useful for an older piece. Cuyana's monogramming turns a bag or wallet into a personal gift. For the French and Italian leather houses, including Hermès and Louis Vuitton, see our guide to luxury brands.

Luggage and travel accessories

• Going In Style: a travel store at 609 Stanford Shopping Center with luggage, plug adapters for every country, packing organizers and travel clothing.

Going In Style carries luggage from Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Pacsafe, Lipault and Travelpro. It is the only store in our directory that lists travel adapters for every country, which makes it a useful stop before an international trip. The center's directory places it on the main level next to J.Jill, near the Sand Hill Road entrance off London Plane Way. The store suggests parking near Pottery Barn.

Repairs and care

A good repair keeps shoes and bags out of the landfill. Bring the item clean and dry. Ask for a written estimate and pickup date before you leave it.

Putting new shoes to use

Palo Alto is a good place to break in a pair. The flat neighborhoods and bike boulevards suit easy walks. The foothills above town have miles of trails. Our running routes guide lists loops from a short downtown run to the Stanford Dish. Hikers heading for the preserves can pair new boots with a pack from Fjällräven or a shell from the outdoor stores in our guide to bike shops and outdoor gear.

Which shoes for which outing

Visitors often ask what to pack for their feet. A few local patterns help.

• A day on the Stanford campus. The Main Quad, Palm Drive and the museums add up to several miles on pavement and gravel paths. Comfortable walking shoes beat anything new.
• The Dish loop. The paved service road climbs steeply in places. Running shoes or light trail shoes with good grip work well.
• Foothill preserves. Dirt trails in Foothills Nature Preserve and the Midpeninsula preserves can be dusty in summer and muddy after winter rain. Hiking shoes or trail runners are the safer choice.
• The Baylands. Levee trails are flat and mostly packed gravel, with little shade. Any walking shoe works, but bring a hat.
• A dinner downtown. Dress codes are relaxed. Clean sneakers are common even at good restaurants.

If you buy new shoes for a hike, wear them around town for a day or two first. Blisters on a long climb are the usual result of skipping that step.

Planning a trip

Most of the stores on this page are at Stanford Shopping Center, so one parking spot covers shoes, bags and luggage. Add downtown for KEEN and Fjällräven, or California Avenue if you have shoes to drop at The Cobblery. Visitors making a shopping weekend of it can compare hotels near Stanford Shopping Center. Clothing to go with your shoes is covered in our menswear and womenswear guides.

Frequently asked questions