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Now available for preorder:
The San Francisco Panorama.
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Payless Starts Babies Off on the Right Foot With Free Shoes, Information About SmartFit(TM) - - - - TOPEKA, Kan., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Toddling babies squared off today in a race across a miniature football field at the Payless ShoeSource Baby Bowl II in Tampa, Fla. With Super Bowl excitement beginning to build, Payless ShoeSource, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) made a substantial donation to child-related charities throughout the country on behalf of the eight professional football players "coaching" the tykes on to victory at Baby Bowl II. Monday Night Football sideline reporter Melissa Stark helped Payless announce the continuation of its Baby's First Shoes(TM) program and introduce parents to SmartFit(TM) shoes designed specifically for children's growing feet. (Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010124/CGMW01) Joya-Dean Hegamin, coached by her father George Hegamin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, walked away with the title of Baby Bowl II Champion. Baby's First Shoes(TM), launched last year at Baby Bowl I in Atlanta, offered babies born in the year 2000 their first pair of shoes free from Payless. Throughout the year, Payless gave away more than two million free pairs of shoes. At Baby Bowl II, Payless announced the program would continue -- offering babies born in the year 2001 their first pair of shoes free. The shoes, intended for pre-walkers, come in pink, denim and white with educational information on how to care for baby's growing feet. Parents simply need to bring their baby in to Payless and fill out a short registration form to receive the free shoes. "Baby's First Shoes(TM) introduces new moms to SmartFit(TM) shoes at Payless ShoeSource. We created the program to help moms understand the importance of putting their children's feet into healthy shoes," says John Haugh, Payless Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Arch support, extra toe room, extra cushioning and durability are critically important to a child's healthy foot development. Payless SmartFit(TM) shoes deliver these attributes at superior Payless value." Podiatrist Jeffrey Brooks, founder and director of the Midwest Podiatry Institute, designed the SmartFit(TM) technology with children's developing feet in mind. "Nearly 75 percent of all Americans will experience some type of foot problems over the course of their lifetime, and many of these problems may have been prevented by wearing properly fitting shoes during childhood," said Dr. Brooks. "Parents can help prevent problems later by choosing well- constructed, properly fitting shoes for their children with arch support, cushioning, and extra toe room." SmartFit(TM) shoes feature Dr. Brooks' patented technology, which provides heel stability, proper arch support, cushioning, extra toe room and durability needed to support children's growing feet once they begin walking. "Before children begin to walk, babies only need to wear socks or soft- sole shoes as a protective covering," Dr. Brooks said. "Once babies begin to stand, they are ready for their first pair of real shoes. At this time, parents should pay particular attention to the shoes they select to make sure they are going to promote the healthy development of their children's growing feet." Dr. Brooks recommends parents look for five key attributes in their children's shoes. Children's shoes should: (1) fit well, (2) be well constructed with arch support, cushioning and extra toe room, (3) be flexible, (4) provide protection from the elements, and (5) be durable. Dr. Brooks also stresses that keeping up with those growing feet is important. "As parents know, their children's feet are growing at an incredible pace. Parents need to check the fit of their children's shoes often and measure their kids' feet each time they shop for shoes to ensure the proper fit," said Dr. Brooks. For more information about Baby's First Shoes(TM) and SmartFit(TM), or to locate a Payless ShoeSource store anywhere in the world, please visit http://www.payless.com . Payless ShoeSource, Inc. is North America's largest family footwear retailer. The company operates a total of 4,930 stores, including 4,648 Payless ShoeSource stores offering quality family footwear at affordable prices and 272 Parade stores featuring fashionable mid-priced women's footwear. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com(SM), at http://www.payless.com .
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