Payless ShoeSource Announces 'Fresh Green Fashion' for Summer With Zoe & Zac(TM) Collection Stressing Top Trends of the Season: Woven Straps, Wedge Heels, and Tie-Dye-Inspired Materials

TOPEKA, Kan., June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- As shoppers prepare for a season of cook-outs, beach trips, concerts and patio parties, Payless ShoeSource is enabling fashion fans to celebrate the outdoors with the Zoe & Zac summer collection of affordable and fashionable green shoe and accessory options.  With items under $30 each, the shoes and handbags channel the season's hottest trends to deliver "Fresh Green Fashion"™ at unbeatable prices.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060627/CGTU040LOGO-b)

"Each season our Zoe & Zac brand continues to democratize green by delivering affordable green shoes and accessories created with a fashion-first point of view," said LuAnn Via, CEO of Payless ShoeSource.  "We strive to push the envelope and expand shoppers' eco-horizons by making green footwear and handbags accessible to all.  Our eco-consultant Summer Rayne Oakes is an invaluable partner in this mission; she helps us ensure that the products are as green as possible, but also contributes an excellent eye for style.  This summer's Zoe & Zac offerings are a testament to the trend-right possibilities of green fashion."    

The Zoe & Zac summer collection features six women's footwear styles and two handbag styles.  Shoppers can accessorize for all occasions -- dressy to casual -- with silhouettes that encompass a strappy dress heel, a woven-strap "sandal shootie," a wedge sandal, a thong sandal, a ballet flat, and a sneaker.  Two organic cotton and natural linen handbags serve as versatile carry-all totes for carting the season's necessities with ease.  The items draw from a summer palette of neutrals, with a tomato red tote and a tie-dye-inspired ballet flat offering pops of color.      

"I am energized each season to work with Payless on the latest Zoe & Zac seasonal line," said Summer Rayne Oakes, Payless' eco-consultant for the Zoe & Zac brand.  "We begin by targeting the strongest trends of the season, then work to create those silhouettes, colors and details with innovative green materials and processes.  The end result is a stylish and eco-friendly line that shoppers can afford, thus breaking down the barriers to sustainable style.  The Zoe & Zac products don't look like the other green shoes out there -- they are all about fashion-first and each season I am truly proud of the collection."

The Zoe & Zac green brand is available now in about 1,000 Payless stores nationwide and Payless.com®.  The line was created and first launched by Payless in April 2009 to democratize green footwear and accessory products by making them affordable and accessible and to bring eco-consciousness to the mainstream.  The Zoe & Zac products are green because they are made from eco-friendly components and materials such as organic cottons and linen, environmentally preferred faux leather, suede and patent, as well as natural hemp, recycled rubber outsoles, eco-friendly EVA cushioning, and water-based glues.  The product packaging is eco-smart as well, utilizing 100 percent recycled shoe boxes and soy-based inks for the printing.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.

Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value.  As of Q1 2010, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores.  In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com® at www.payless.com.

Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide.  The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing.  Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®, Champion®, Zoe & Zac™, the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections Lela Rose for Payless, Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose, alice + olivia for Payless, Christian Siriano for Payless and STLP x Airwalk, among others;  Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider®, Robeez®, and Saucony®, among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®.  Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

About Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes is a model-activist and spokesperson, resident expert, and youngest board of advisors for Planet Green, Discovery Network's new eco-lifestyle channel. The Cornell University graduate and environmental scholar has received media accolades including from Vanity Fair naming her a Global Citizen, Outside naming her one of the Top Environmental Activists, Cosmopolitan naming her Fun, Fearless Female of 2007, and CNN's Nicole Lapin nominating her as a "Young Person Who Rocks."  Through her work as a consultant Summer Rayne advises companies and organizations, and works on sustainable development and environmental programs in the U.S. and abroad.  In February 2009, she released her first book, Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty published by Chronicle Books.  Her most recent role as consultant is with Payless ShoeSource as Eco-Consultant for the company's Zoe & Zac green brand, where she helps the company find innovative ways to create "fresh green fashion."

Editor's Note: samples and production-quality images of the Zoe & Zac Summer collection are available upon request.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource