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Back to School Shopping

New & Noteworthy

Downtown Santa Cruz has everything you need to outfit your child for a successful year, from stylish clothes and backpacks to school supplies and transportation. 

Downtown Santa Cruz is the easy, one-stop shop for all your back to school needs. Check out a few of our highlights below

Discover Downtown Shopping

Back to school means new shoes! Whether you're chasing after the bus or playing four square, comfortable and stylish footwear is a must. From classic sneakers to trendy boots, find the perfect pair to kickstart your year with confidence.

Old School Shoes

Sockshop & Shoe Company 

Bunny's Shoes

Pacific Wave

You still have time to dress them in the cute outfits you want them to wear before the sass comes out (we hope). Take advantage of some great downtown retail options for that sweet start of school look.

Lively Kids

Gap Kids

Pacific Wave

O'Neill Surf Shop

Well, they're not little anymore, but they're still your babies and these local babies need to look good! Fortunately, Downtown Santa Cruz is a teen shopping haven with tons of retailers to choose from.

Decoding teen fashion is like trying to solve a complex math equation. One minute it's oversized everything, the next it's crop tops and mini skirts. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll question your own life choices. 

But hey, at least you'll score favorite parent points when you get them what they actually want to wear!

Urban Outfitters

Pacific Wave

O'Neill Surf Shop

Motherlode

Virgo

Freestyle Clothing Exchange

Crossroads Trading

Forever 21

So Fresh Clothing

Oasis

Angel Aura Vintage

Berdels

Realm

Free People

Watch as your child morphs from a wild summer creature into a too cool for school student. Get the first day of school vibe right and take care your kids to the experts in cool cuts and fresh fades for our laid back beach town.

Get Faded Barbershop

Thrifty Cuts Barber Shop

Arrow Beauty Bar

Faust Downtown

Surf City Barbershop

The Moon

Craft Beauty Barber Shop

That lunch box they used last year was a battlefield where soggy sandwiches and mysterious juice stains collide. It's time to cut your losses and get them a new sterile beginning for those lunches made with love. Grab the water bottles, notebooks and pencils too while you're at it.

Artisans & agency

Lenz Art

CVS

Paper Vision

Toque Blanche

Realm

Santa Cruz is such a wheel friendly community and these local kids love the independence it brings them. Don't forget the helmets!

Spokesman Bicycles

Pacific Wave

Childish

Berdels

And finally, the pièce de résistance: the backpack. Where the organizing hopes and dreams of every parent goes to die. But at least they'll look good wearing them.

O'Neill Surf Shop

Old School Shoes

So Fresh Clothing

Pacific Wave

Forever 21