Shoe Stores

Collective Brands Inc., the parent of Payless ShoeSource and Stride Rite, will close 475 stores after reporting a large second-quarter loss. The company also said Wednesday that it was conducting a review of "strategic and financial alternatives," which could mean a sale of the company. The store closures affect underperforming locations and will occur over the next three years, the Topeka, Kan., company said. About 400 of the stores slated to close are Payless locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; 75 are Stride Rite children's shoe store locations.

The world's largest collection of shoes for sale opened Friday in Dubai, a city dotted with luxury malls and high-end boutiques. Called the Level Shoe District, the store takes up 96,000 square feet of real estate. It's stocked with 15,000 different styles from 250 brands. That's enough footwear for even Carrie Bradshaw-level shopaholics to swoon. "The whole idea is to create a place for men and women who love shoes, who are passionate about shoes, who are addicted to shoes, who are obsessed about shoes," Patrick Chalhoub, chief executive of Chalhoub Group, the force behind the megastore, told Bloomberg.

Women salivate over Manolo Blahnik heels. Men covet Nike Air Yeezy 2 sneakers. The limited edition shoe, designed by rapper Kanye West, has already attracted long lines and frenzied online bidding in the thousands of dollars. That's kind of impressive, considering the shoe goes on sale Saturday at a retail price of $245. Only about 3,000 to 5,000 pairs will be released, and sneaker collectors -- known as "sneakerheads" -- are anxiously awaiting the chance to add the shoes to their closet or resell them for a plump profit.

Women salivate over Manolo Blahnik heels. Men covet Nike Air Yeezy 2 sneakers. The limited-edition shoe, designed by rapper Kanye West, has already attracted long lines and frenzied online bidding for thousands of dollars. That's kind of impressive, considering the shoe goes on sale Saturday at a retail price of $245. Only about 3,000 to 5,000 pairs will be released, and sneaker collectors — known as "sneakerheads" — are anxiously awaiting the chance to add the shoes to their closets or resell them for a plump profit.

Collective Brands Inc., which owns footwear brands such as Sperry Top-Sider and Keds and the shoe retailer Payless ShoeSource, will be split in two by multiple buyers in a purchase valued at $2 billion, including debt. Wolverine Worldwide, Blum Capital and Golden Gate Capital formed an acquisition company to buy Collective for $21.75 a share. The deal was unanimously approved by Collective's board and is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth. The price represents a 104% premium on Collective's 30-day average stock price before Aug. 24, when the company first announced that it was looking into a strategic and financial shift for its operations.

May Department Stores of St. Louis said Friday that it will spend a record $2 billion over the next five years to build new stores, including perhaps as many as eight new May Co. outlets in Southern California. Thomas A. Hayes, president of May Department Stores, told the company's annual meeting in St. Louis that the capital expenditure program for 1986 to 1990 calls for a total of 1,254 new stores. Most of those will be the company's Payless ShoeSource self-service shoe outlets.

Women salivate over Manolo Blahnik heels. Men covet Nike Air Yeezy 2 sneakers. The limited-edition shoe, designed by rapper Kanye West, has already attracted long lines and frenzied online bidding for thousands of dollars. That's kind of impressive, considering the shoe goes on sale Saturday at a retail price of $245. Only about 3,000 to 5,000 pairs will be released, and sneaker collectors — known as "sneakerheads" — are anxiously awaiting the chance to add the shoes to their closets or resell them for a plump profit.

Breaking a bad habit is a little like breaking up with a spouse with whom you have serious differences but also have a child: The old habit will always be part of your life. So you need to find ways to cope. * Eliminate whatever reward or payoff the habit gives.

Question: I'm 65, 5 foot 2, size 18 1/2, and I'm looking for a wedding dress that will be different and fun. Could you find a pattern for a '20s chemise dress? Maybe one with a handkerchief hemline? If you can't find a pattern, can you find a ready-made dress for under $250? My hair is white, but I have a young face and I'm a fun lady. Please suggest colors and fabrics.--A.K.R.

It's hard to imagine that pockets of small-town America exist in the spread and sprawl of Southern California. But they do here and there. Montrose, a tiny community in Glendale snuggled in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, offers that small-town spirit and ambience. It's a step back in time with its 1950s bowling alley, the 50-year-old independent Faye's Department Store, tree-lined streets, quaint shops, service-oriented merchants and a weekly farmers market.

Women salivate over Manolo Blahnik heels. Men covet Nike Air Yeezy 2 sneakers. The limited edition shoe, designed by rapper Kanye West, has already attracted long lines and frenzied online bidding in the thousands of dollars. That's kind of impressive, considering the shoe goes on sale Saturday at a retail price of $245. Only about 3,000 to 5,000 pairs will be released, and sneaker collectors -- known as "sneakerheads" -- are anxiously awaiting the chance to add the shoes to their closet or resell them for a plump profit.

Collective Brands Inc., which owns footwear brands such as Sperry Top-Sider and Keds and the shoe retailer Payless ShoeSource, will be split in two by multiple buyers in a purchase valued at $2 billion, including debt. Wolverine Worldwide, Blum Capital and Golden Gate Capital formed an acquisition company to buy Collective for $21.75 a share. The deal was unanimously approved by Collective's board and is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth. The price represents a 104% premium on Collective's 30-day average stock price before Aug. 24, when the company first announced that it was looking into a strategic and financial shift for its operations.

Collective Brands Inc., the parent of Payless ShoeSource and Stride Rite, will close 475 stores after reporting a large second-quarter loss. The company also said Wednesday that it was conducting a review of "strategic and financial alternatives," which could mean a sale of the company. The store closures affect underperforming locations and will occur over the next three years, the Topeka, Kan., company said. About 400 of the stores slated to close are Payless locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; 75 are Stride Rite children's shoe store locations.

Camper, a Spanish version of Cole Haan, makes comfy heels and stylish sneaks for fashionistas who don't want to sacrifice looks for comfort. Based in the sunny Balearic island of Mallorca, Camper has opened a new store at the Original Farmers Market. The store walls are blanketed with flowery, petal-like sheets by Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka. Yoshioka, who was mentored by designer Issey Miyake, has collaborated with brands such as Hermes, Toyota and Swarovski on design concepts.

Ooga Booga is a retail apparel store that doubles as an affordable art gallery, carrying items including clothing and accessories by Opening Ceremony and Slow and Steady Wins the Race, as well as pieces from well-known artists such as Mike Kelley, Ed Templeton and Terence Koh. The shop, open for almost six years, has become a beloved Chinatown destination known for its quirky merchandise and ongoing roster of events. To reach out to those who don't cross the 110 Freeway too often, Ooga Booga heads west to Fairfax Avenue, where proprietor Wendy Yao has opened a temporary mini-shop inside Keep Co.'s shoe store on Fairfax Avenue in time for holiday gifting, with most merchandise priced at less than $100.

Mona Moore might not be a typical Venice shoe boutique. A disco ball hanging in the front window should be the first clue. But if you're a female footwear fanatic whose eyes light up at the mention of Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and wedge boots, you might want to venture out to this latest Abbot Kinney retail spot. Lisa Bush and Anna Maria Varriano opened the original Mona Moore in Montreal seven years ago (the name is a riff on " mon amour " -- "my love" in French).

The world's largest collection of shoes for sale opened Friday in Dubai, a city dotted with luxury malls and high-end boutiques. Called the Level Shoe District, the store takes up 96,000 square feet of real estate. It's stocked with 15,000 different styles from 250 brands. That's enough footwear for even Carrie Bradshaw-level shopaholics to swoon. "The whole idea is to create a place for men and women who love shoes, who are passionate about shoes, who are addicted to shoes, who are obsessed about shoes," Patrick Chalhoub, chief executive of Chalhoub Group, the force behind the megastore, told Bloomberg.

An gunman robbed two Simi Valley stores Thursday, authorities said. The robber entered the Athletic Express shoe store on Los Angeles Avenue at 2:45 p.m., showed a handgun and demanded cash, said Lt. Neal Rein of the Simi Valley Police Department. The man was given an undisclosed amount of money from an employee, Rein said. About 15 minutes later, a man entered the House of Fabrics on Tapo Street, about a quarter of a mile away from the shoe store, and committed a similar robbery, Rein said.

Breaking a bad habit is a little like breaking up with a spouse with whom you have serious differences but also have a child: The old habit will always be part of your life. So you need to find ways to cope. * Eliminate whatever reward or payoff the habit gives.

A rabid bat crawled out from under a rack at a discount shoe store and bit a 6-year-old boy on the foot, officials said. The incident occurred Tuesday at a Payless Shoe Source. Kern County Animal Control Services workers captured the bat and it tested positive for rabies, said Animal Control Division Chief Denise Haynes. The virus is potentially fatal, but the boy was undergoing treatment and "doing fine," said Claudia Jonah of the county health department.