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With a wide variety of children’s shoes, Tickle Me! Children’s Store opened its doors at 382 Teniente César Luis González Street in Hato Rey. It is a concept designed to fulfill the demand for children’s footwear that may not necessarily be found in traditional retail stores.

Starting a business venture was not part of Angie Cruz’s initial plans. However, when she unexpectedly lost her job during the pandemic, it became a viable solution.

“This idea was born from necessity. I was worked in a well-known department store, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic. So, I lost my job in March 2020, and being unemployed creates that necessity. I kept thinking: “Oh my God, what can I do do?” That’s when I had this idea with a friend, because we both saw the need for a children’s shoe store in the island. “That’s how we started selling online,” explained the 35-year-old Cruz.

On March 15, 2021, they unveiled the concept with an online grand opening. However, a few months later, her friend decided to pursue a different professional path, and Cruz–confident in her abilities–took over the reins of the business.

“I launched the store a month ago to increase visibility. I decided to open the shop because children in particular need to try on the shows. I offer free shipping, but if the shoe doesn’t fit the child, then the parent has to pay for return shipping and ends up paying more. That’s not what I want. I have good-quality footwear, but I want to maintain affordable prices for the public,” said the owner, Angie Cruz.

Children are the inspiration in her store. There are photos on the colorful walls and play areas of the little ones modeling shoes.

One of the children’s shoe brands available is See Kai Run, “a line recognized for its quality and approved by the American Pediatric Association because it’s a shoe that doesn’t squeeze, limit, or deform the child’s feet.”

“You have to take a chance. If you don’t take a chance and you let yourself be swayed by others’ experiences—some may have succeeded while others didn’t—that’s their experiences, not mine. If I don’t try, I’ll spend my whole life wondering what could have been. I respect others’ decisions, but I’m the type who listens and I make my own choices. This is what I yearned for and it was born out of necessity, so why not watch it grow?” concluded the young entrepreneur, whose store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also access her online store through her website at www.tricklemestore.com.