Airwalk(R) and jeffstaple Announce New STPLxAirwalk(TM) Line With Contemporary Street-Meets-Skate Design Fusion

Aug 11, 2009

New Brand Designed by Street Style Icon jeffstaple Features Range of Styles --

       Including the Star Trek(TM) Shoe -- for Today's Skate Lifestyle;
  Limited-Edition Available Now Exclusively at Payless for $30 to $50 a Pair

NEW YORK CITY, DENVER, and TOPEKA, Kan., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the back-to-school season where skate and street fashion trends are hitting classrooms nationwide, Airwalk and street style icon jeffstaple announced the STPLxAirwalk(TM) brand with its unique skate-meets-street design fusion that incorporates the rich skate heritage of Airwalk with contemporary design influence of jeffstaple. The new STPLxAirwalk limited-edition fall collection is exclusively available now at select Payless ShoeSource stores and Payless.com for $30 to $50 a pair.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090811/CG59884)

"Payless is democratizing the latest ideas in footwear by making them accessible and affordable to all. I am very excited to join in this philosophy and approach," said jeffstaple. "My STPLxAirwalk brand is unique for many reasons - it's with Airwalk, a heritage brand with immense legitimacy in skate, and we are fusing it with contemporary design and then making the sneakers available at accessible prices at Payless."

"As a designer and Sneakerhead, I am really amped about this initial launch collection and the creative, fresh new designs. There's something for everyone - every guy, every girl - and for every skate lifestyle occasion from the vert ramp to the beach."

The initial STPLxAirwalk fall collection includes five shoe styles for men and three styles for women available now at select Payless stores and Payless.com. The men's Star Trek shoe, licensed to Payless from CBS Consumer Products and designed by jeffstaple, will be available around the DVD release of the blockbuster movie. It will debut later this fall in red, blue and gold (online only) -- inspired by the colors of the Starfleet uniforms.

The five men's styles are offered in sizes 6-11, 12 and 13 and include the "Terrain," a hiker-meets-vintage basketball shoe; the "Gambit," a high-top apres skate shoe; the "50/50 Tech," a technical skate shoe; the "Heaven," a California-inspired casual slip-on; and the "Jim95," the contemporary return of a classic Airwalk style. The men's line features such details as black leather uppers, tonal stitching, buffalo plaid materials, and custom-illustrated canvas.

The women's styles come in size 6-10 and include the "Terra," a high-top silhouette with feminine details; the "Terralite," a low-top version of the Terra; and the "50/50 Tech," a technical skate shoe. Quilted detailing, contrast colorations, and buffalo plaid materials add stylish accents to the women's line.

"The STPLxAirwalk brand is really fresh in how it represents the progression of skate style," said Bruce Pettet, president and chief executive officer of Collective Licensing International, which owns the Airwalk brand. "jeffstaple is perfect for Airwalk, and we are excited to collaborate with him on the launch of this collection. Each style -- from the Gambit, Terrain, Terra and 50/50 Tech to the Jim95, a dusted-off vintage style first launched in 1995 - has creative, fresh design details that are uniquely jeffstaple.

"Consumers should keep a lookout for what's next from the STPLxAirwalk brand - coming later this fall is the Star Trek shoe, followed by a fully updated collection for Spring '10 with new ideas and the latest street design fusion from jeffstaple."

The Airwalk and jeffstaple collaboration is a multi-year agreement for jeffstaple to create seasonal collections for fall and spring exclusively available at Payless under the STPLxAirwalk brand. For more information, to provide your e-mail address for brand news updates, or to locate a store, go to www.STPLxAirwalk.com.

"The back-to-school timing is perfect for the launch of our STPLxAirwalk brand in our Payless stores, and we know that consumers have been eagerly awaiting the fresh new styles from this new, unique brand," said LuAnn Via, president and CEO of Payless ShoeSource. "Payless is focused on keeping our collections fresh and relevant and the STPLxAirwalk brand with its unique street-meets-skate design fusion fits right in. We are thrilled to offer shoes and accessory products by designer partners like jeffstaple, as well as our runway designers. These collaborations allow more people to have access to the designers' innovative work, and they bring an additional design point of view to our already strong seasonal offering."

About jeffstaple and Staple Design

With his hands in just about everything, 34-year-old, Jeff Ng, aka jeffstaple, has masterfully created an entire world of communicating through design. Not known solely for his massive sneaker collection, the founder/owner of Staple Design, Staple Clothing, and Reed Space is a graphic, web, and clothing designer, artist, DJ, writer, entrepreneur, and is responsible for the design work for companies such as Microsoft, Burton Snowboards, LVMH, Uniqlo, Sony Playstation, Mountain Dew and more.

Staple Design is an independent, visual communications agency. Its goal is to understand the relationships that exist between intriguing companies and their target consumers. Formulating a straight-line channel of communication between the two is what the firm does best. The team's strength lies in its mere existence. They research the consumer to the point where they actually become the consumer. While most agencies begin the design process with "answers" or "solutions," they start with "questions." For more information go to www.stapledesign.com.

About Collective Licensing International

Collective Licensing International, a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., was formed in January 2004 and is the owner and/or license operator of the Airwalk , Vision Street Wear , Sims , Lamar and LTD , World Snowboarding Championships(TM), Sugarboards , Carve , genetic , Dukes(TM), Rage , Ultra-Wheels , Hind , Spot Bilt and Skate Attack brands. Collective Licensing International is based in Englewood, Colorado.

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 the end of first quarter 2009, the company operated more than 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 more than 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands American Eagle(TM) by Payless, Airwalk , Dexter , Champion and designer collections Abaete for Payless, Lela Rose for Payless, alice + olivia for Payless and Christian Siriano 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 , 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.

AMERICAN EAGLE BY PAYLESS IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS

SOURCE  Payless ShoeSource, Inc.

    -0-                           08/11/2009
    /NOTE TO EDITORS: Product samples and production-quality images are
available upon request./
    /CONTACT:  Mardi Larson, +1-612-928-0202, mardi@mardilarson.com, for
Payless ShoeSource, Inc./
    /Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090811/CG59884
             http://photoarchive.ap.org
             AP PhotoExpress Network:  PRN6
             PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
    /Web Site:  http://www.payless.com
                http://www.stapledesign.com
                http://www.collectivebrands.com
                http://www.STPLxAirwalk.com /
    (PSS)

CO:  Payless ShoeSource, Inc.; jeffstaple; Staple Design; Collective Brands,
     Inc.
ST:  New York, Comoros, Kansas
IN:  REA FAS TEX
SU:  PDT

PR
-- CG59884 --
2384 08/11/2009 09:03 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com