Payless to launch first-ever affordable sustainable footwear line with Summer Rayne Oakes

Footwear News. Vol 64. No 39. Payless ShoeSource will announce today it is adding a new line of ecofriendly footwear to its stable of brands. To support the launch, the Topeka, Kan.-based chain, a division of Collective Brands Inc., has signed fashion model and sustainability consultant Summer Rayne Oakes to help develop the yet-to-be-named line, which will be sold in about 500 Payless locations starting in April 2009.

Matt Rubel, president and CEO of Collective Brands, said that Payless could bring sustainable fashion to the masses by using its economies of scale to purchase certified organic and recycled materials at an affordable price. “We have more than 4,500 stores — Payless is Main Street. What we do gets into neighborhoods and to people who might not normally have access to [sustainable fashion],” he said.

The first collection of eight to 12 styles of women’s shoes and handbags will retail for about $30. Footwear for men and kids will follow, with distribution growing to 1,000 stores. “This is part of a larger company initiative on many levels, and this line is going to help teach us how to do it,” Rubel said. He expects methods and materials for the green line to cross over into Payless’ other brands as well. “We are examining everything that we do. It’s part of a holistic approach [to increase sustainability],” he said.

“We are also trying to source more locally, because that decreases transportation,” said Oakes, who is best known as the Discovery Network’s “Planet Green” fashion and beauty expert. She will be working on sourcing and supply chain issues, providing design direction and appearing
in advertisements.

“With the economy the way that it is now, many people think [green products] are that much more inaccessible, so this line is coming at the right time,” said Oakes. And she hopes other large companies will take notice of Payless’ sustainable efforts. “Part of this is to inspire and lead by example. You have to set the bar higher in this day and age.”

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Official press release

PAYLESS SHOESOURCE ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER AFFORDABLE GREEN FOOTWEAR LINE

New Brand Shows Retailer’s Passion to Democratize Green; Retailer Also Signs Agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes to Serve as Environmental Consultant to Help Drive Innovation

TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 13, 2008 – Payless ShoeSource announced today plans to launch the first-ever affordable green footwear line due in stores early next year and that it has signed an agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes, Discovery Network’s Planet Green fashion and beauty expert and author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty (Chronicle Books, February 2009), to serve as the green footwear brand’s Eco Consultant.

The new brand is a key part of Payless’ mission and strategy to democratize fashion, design and new ideas in footwear and accessories and to position Payless as a “House of Brands” retailer, offering well-recognized, fresh new brands – all at a great price.

The forthcoming line will include on-trend, fashionable footwear and accessory products that are also green through the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as organic cottons and linen, natural hemp and recycled outsoles, as well as the use of eco-smart packaging. The line will be seasonally refreshed offering the latest trends; the new brand will launch initially for women, expanding to include kids’ and men’s styles in the future. The “green” shoes will be available at prices, on average, of under $30 a pair early next year in about 500 stores with select styles appearing in 1,000 stores, as well as generally available on Payless.com®.

“The sustainability movement is pervasive today and is touching so many elements of consumers’ daily lives and they are interested in more and more green product options being available to them,” said Matt Rubel, CEO of Collective Brands, Inc., the parent company of Payless ShoeSource. “But green items are often expensive and inaccessible to so many. With our mission to democratize the latest ideas in footwear and accessories, we are in the best position and proud to bring forward a green footwear line that is affordable and accessible to all.

Our alliance with Summer Rayne Oakes is important to this new brand initiative. Summer Rayne is a trend-setting expert in Eco Fashion, and she will help us launch our new green brand, as well as assist us in driving innovation with fresh, new eco-smart ideas for this brand going forward.”

The new line is unique not only as the first-ever affordable green footwear, but also because it will stress fashion first, while being eco-smart.

“When Payless approached me to partner with them on what would be their first-ever affordable green line of footwear, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Oakes. “It’s high time a stylish line of shoes can be both environmentally friendly and reasonably priced. Payless is at the forefront of a significant movement bridging fashion, environmental awareness and accessibility — an undertaking I am proud to be a part of.”

The contract between Payless and Oakes is a multi-year arrangement. Oakes will be involved in seasonal line reviews focusing on materials use and aesthetics for the product, packaging, and in-store materials, as well as participate in other marketing activities for the brand. Additional terms of the deal were not
disclosed. Payless said it expects to launch the new brand name closer to when the shoes are available in stores next year.

About Payless & Collective Brands
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 second quarter 2008, the company operated more than 4,500 stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com® at www.payless.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 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’ll release her first book, Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty published by Chronicle Books. www.summerrayneoakes.com.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 11th, 2008 at 10:55 pm. It is filed under fashion & style and tagged with eco-fashion, eco-footwear, eco-friendly footwear, eco-model, ecofashion, ecomodel, fashion footwear, footwear trends, green fashion, green footwear, green line, green shoes, Payless, Payless Shoes, Summer Rayne Oakes, Summer Rayne Oakes shoes, sustainable fashion, sustainable shoes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.