Payless (NYSE:PSS) is an American chain of shoe retailers, owned and operated by Payless ShoeSource Incorporated. Payless was founded in 1956 by a pair of cousins from Topeka, Kansas. It was acquired in 1979 by the May Department Stores Company. The two split in 1996, the year of Payless' IPO.

Payless sells all kinds of shoes, from athletic to formal, for men, women, and children. The idea of Payless is that you pay, well, less for shoes. A pair of mens' sneakers will run you about 20 USD, boots, 30. They frequently have "buy one get one of equal or lesser value for half price" sales.

Payless shoes are clones of major brand shoes, and other than the logos and the price, they are identical to the real deal. Payless manages to sell shoes at such low prices because they don't pay celebrities millions of dollars for endorsements, they don't spend much on commercials, and most importantly, they don't make the shoes. Instead, they contract with various suppliers.

All in all, if you don't have any qualms about buying from a company with dubious labor practices (which is not to say that other shoe companies are any better), you'll probably find the footwear you seek at Payless.

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