Students Step Into the New School Year With the Latest Shoe, Accessory Trends and Brands From Payless® Including New Teen Brand Brash™

TOPEKA, Kan., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of the dog days of summer it's hard to believe back-to-school shopping is just around the corner. This season Payless ShoeSource®, the retailer on a mission to democratize fashion for all to enjoy, remains firmly committed to helping parents and their kids head back to the classroom with confidence, offering the latest footwear and accessory trends at affordable prices. Families can choose from an even larger selection of hot brands, including new teen brand Brash™ launched just last week, and new budget-friendly initiatives, Incredible Value Every Day, Hot Deals of the Week and a cross promotion with OfficeMax -- all available in stores throughout the back-to-school shopping season.

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Hot Brands, Cool Styles

Kids aspiring for an A+ in personal style can turn to Payless to get this year's must-have shoe and accessory trends including embellished flats, slip-on and lace up canvas sneakers, jazz oxfords, cross-body and messenger style bags, assorted boots, and a range of fashionable ballet flats – all at great prices.

Arriving in stores this month, Payless' newest teen brand, Brash™, provides a range of on-trend affordable shoes and handbags, jewelry, accessories and beauty items that enable girls to create a fun, eclectic look from head to toe. The Brash™ collection includes something for every style from edgy motorcycle boots, cross-body handbags and kohl eyeliners, to girly glitter flats, charm necklaces and hip hair accessories. The collection, featuring about 120 items total, is rounded out by additional fashion-forward styles including platform pumps, stackable bangles, fresh fragrances and glitter nail polish. With items priced on average under $20, Brash™ lets teens collage their own unique look to create an independent style.

Fashion-lovers will also be excited to enhance their back-to-school wardrobes with items from the newly expanded Christian Siriano for Payless™ designer label, which now includes a wide range of silhouettes designed for every day styling from strappy sandals and peep-toe pumps in solid jewel tones and classic neutrals, to patent-shine oxfords, ankle booties, studded flats and handbags in practical black and eye-popping fuchsia.  There are 16 items all available beginning Sept. 7 in about 2,400 stores with a majority of items available for under $35.

For the sporty back-to-school types and those looking to suit up for gym class, Payless offers families on-trend athletic options from well-known brands Airwalk®, Above the Rim™ and Champion®.  Airwalk continues to toe the line with the popular "Kicks" and surf moc styles in buffalo checks and metallic patterns while Above the Rim and Champion brands help athletic kids perform their best while looking great. The introduction of new Champion Activelite™ styles offer the entire family cutting-edge "light as a feather" minimalist shoe technology for under $40.

And for the youngest school-bound boys and girls, the Payless Smartfit® brand, starting at just $10 a pair, features a wide selection of stylish shoe options that are especially designed with extra toe room, enhanced durability and easy on-off design to make putting on and taking off shoes easier for small children to master on their own – speeding the off-to-school crunch time.

A Commitment to Value

As a family footwear retailer, Payless understands how important value is especially in today's economy and when shopping for multiple children during the back-to-school shopping season.  With the recent introduction of the Hot Deal of the Week and Incredible Value Every Day initiatives, Payless continues to help outfit the entire family while staying on a budget. Through the Payless Hot Deal of the Week program, one on-trend style per week (excluding BOGO™ promotion weeks) will have a price reduction of at least 50 percent, with styles refreshed weekly.  Payless will call-out Incredible Value Every Day styles -- items always priced at an every day great value starting as low as under $10 a pair.  Special box tags make these every day savings easy-to-spot.

Carrying on the commitment to value, the retailer's industry-leading children's extended sizing program will continue this year and allow students of all ages to find the best shoes that fit just right. The extended sizing program was created in direct response to customers who conveyed feedback that they buy shoes for children whose feet are adult-sized, but the fashion, styling and pricing of adult shoes makes it challenging to find the right styles for these kids.  This year, Payless is offering more than 30 boys, girls and athletic styles in sizing up to size 6 youth (equivalent to women's size 8 and men's size 6). Kids' feet grow every three months, according to experts, and Payless always offers its leading foot measuring service -- a valued benefit for parents during the back-to-school shoe shopping season.

"Payless is proud of the strong brand portfolio we provide families for back-to-school and we are excited to continue expanding  the collection with the addition of the new Brash™ brand and the expansion of Christian Siriano for Payless™," said LuAnn Via, president and CEO of Payless.  "This season, our selection of on-trend shoes, bags, accessories and beauty items are top notch. Our ability to offer such an expansive fashion-forward offering while staying true to value pricing ensures families don't have to sacrifice on style to stay on-budget."

Payless & OfficeMax Cross Promotion

Payless and OfficeMax are teaming up once again this year to offer additional savings this back-to-school shopping season on the all-important items needed for school -- school supplies and shoes.  Beginning July 21, OfficeMax shoppers making a purchase of just $.01 or more will receive a register receipt coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more at any Payless store (excluding those in Shopko Stores) in the U.S. and online at Payless.com(R) valid through Sept. 12.  Beginning July 24, more than 2,600 Payless stores will offer shoppers making any purchase a register receipt coupon valued at $10 off a purchase of $30 or more at all OfficeMax stores nationwide (offer not available at OfficeMax.com) valid through Sept. 17.  Please see register receipt for terms and conditions.

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 for all to enjoy. Payless offers customers a range of well-recognized brands such as Dexter®, Airwalk®, Champion®, Above the Rim® and Smart Fit®, as well as designer labels by Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi. As of the end of the first quarter 2011, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores throughout the Americas and an online store (www.Payless.com) and also has nearly 80 franchised stores located in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

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(TM), the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections by fashion designers Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi; 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®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, STRIKEFORCE(TM), Clinch Gear(TM), Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships(TM) and Hind®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource