Payless ShoeSource offers eco-friendly line

TOPEKA, Kan. Payless ShoeSource announced the immediate availability of its new environmentally-friendly Zoe & Zac brand, which offers a full collection of shoes, handbags, jewelry and socks for under $30 an item.

The Zoe & Zac green brand -- available now in 1,000 Payless stores nationwide and Payless.com -- are green because they are made from eco-friendly components and materials such as organic cottons and linen, natural hemp, recycled rubber outsoles, eco-friendly-EVA cushioning, and water-based glues for the shoes. Natural materials like dyed Tagua and Acai nuts are incorporated into the jewelry. The product packaging is eco-smart as well, utilizing 100% recycled shoe boxes and soy-based inks for the printing.

"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 LuAnn Via, president of Payless ShoeSource. "But green items are often expensive and inaccessible to so many. Today, we are thrilled to launch the Zoe & Zac brand and to make green footwear and accessory products affordable, delivering new options for more people to take part in a more sustainable lifestyle."