Rising Temperatures Call for Hot Summer Style Essentials - Cork Wedges, Strappy Sandals and Colorful Canvas Are Among Top Trends

TOPEKA, Kan., May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Accessorizing for summer has never been hotter. As always, Payless ShoeSource(R) is on a mission to democratize fashion in footwear and accessories by offering the most sizzling summer styles at affordable prices so everybody can have access to the latest looks.

The Payless(R) summer collection reflects the most current trends with a diverse array of silhouettes, colors, materials, and details. Whether adding natural accents to a tribal print dress or pops of color to a nautical outfit, Payless shoes and handbags will serve as the perfect complement to any ensemble. And with today's focus on stretching budgets, there's no better time to shop the retailer, which is currently stocking shelves with sizzling summer style for on average under $20 an item.

Payless' summer offerings includes its popular Designer Collections, exclusive labels featuring original designs by fashion designers and stylists including Abaete for Payless(TM) by Laura Poretzky; Lela Rose for Payless(TM) by Lela Rose; alice + olivia for Payless(TM) by Stacey Bendet; and Patricia Field for Payless(TM) by style icon and award-winning stylist and costume designer Patricia Field.

Beaded Navajo patterns grace strappy sandals in the Abaete for Payless line, while cool linen and saddle piping combine for effortless Lela Rose for Payless summer style. The alice + olivia for Payless collection adds a dash of downtown edge with bold hues and contrasting linen and patent detailing, and the Patricia Field for Payless collection features the sparkle and fun of colored metallic. Payless Designer Collections are among the most broadly distributed designer footwear labels in the United States today.

Other key trends of the summer season include cork wedges, woven espadrilles, gladiator-inspired sandals, and patterned ballet flats. Canvas footwear rendered in popsicle-bright hues combine comfort with color, while plaid prints provide a preppy twist on styles ranging from thong sandals to sling-back espadrilles. Handbags featuring bright colors, woven straw and printed canvas are designed to coordinate effortlessly to create a polished final look.

Additional key footwear trends for the summer season include: -- Silhouettes -- flip-flops, slides, ballet flats, platform wedges, strappy heels, boat shoes, gladiator-inspired sandals -- Colors -- candy pinks, tropical limes, bright whites, earthy browns, tomato reds, garden greens, burnished golds, soft silvers, light tans, lemony yellows, assorted plaids -- Materials -- linen, faux cork, graphic canvas, patent, woven straw, metallic -- Details -- Navajo beading, saddle leather piping, suede lacing, buckle accents, metallic touches, sequin and diamond-studding

The Payless summer collection for women is currently available in stores nationwide. The line boasts dozens of fresh new footwear styles and coordinating handbags with styles arriving every few weeks throughout the summer season.

About Payless Designer Collections

Lela Rose, Laura Poretzky, Stacey Bendet and Patricia Field are Payless Guest Designers -- select fashion designers and stylist that create designer footwear and accessory collections featuring the latest runway looks, which Payless brings to its stores at affordable prices. Each collection is unique and reflective of the designer's signature style: Rose's strong focus on "classic with a twist"; Poretzky's "American international," drawing from her rich international experiences living in Brazil, France and New York; Bendet's "contemporary retro," and style icon Patricia Field's with her award-winning design aesthetic. The Payless Guest Designer program is a key strategy in Payless' overall mission to democratize fashion in footwear and accessories. For more information about Payless at New York Fashion Week and the company's Guest Designers, please see paylessontherunway.com.

About Payless

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 the end of fiscal year 2007, the company operated more than 4,500 stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com(R) at http://www.payless.com/.

Collective Brands, Inc. 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 more than 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands American Eagle(TM), Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R) and designer collections Abaete for Payless, Lela Rose for Payless and alice + olivia for Payless, among others; Stride Rite, focused on lifestyle and athletic branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite(R), Keds(R), Sperry Top-Sider(R), Robeez(R), and Saucony(R), among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R), Vision Street Wear(R), Lamar(R), Sims(R), LTD(R), genetic(R), Dukes(TM), Rage(R), Ultra-Wheels(R), and Skate Attack(R). Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com/.