Payless ShoeSource

The explosion of fashion houses on local shores has driven much of our relentless appetite for the newest fashion trends. As recent as September this year, shoppers prepared an effusive welcome for Swedish apparel giant H&M with snaking queues formed hours before the store was set to open. Clothes were snapped from racks quicker than synthetic Christmas trees are raised in Orchard. There is little surprise if you consider how the Swedish label has made upmarket fashion affordable to the masses. In the eyes of consumers, the company’s latest collaboration with Versace only serves to illustrate the fact that once sacrosanct designer goods have become almost populist.

Enter Payless ShoeSource. The H&M of the footwear market, the American chain promises to cater to everyone’s needs and tastes with a wide variety of purpose shoes and designer footwear at affordable price points. We were invited to the launch of the chain’s store at Changi City Point where serried ranks of chic men, ladies and children shoes line the shelves. To say the least, we were impressed with the exhaustive collection of footwear which includes flip flops, sandals, sport shoes, sneakers, high heels, dance shoes, business wear and boots. “Payless is a family shoe store. There aren’t many of them here. We have stores that focus on shoes for ladies and so on and so forth but it’s hard to find a shoe store that has all the options under one roof,” concluded Mr. Dirk Boerma, General Manager of Payless in a statement.

Fascinated, we managed to dismiss our genteel demeanour and channel our inner kiasu Singaporean selves into catching a great bargain. With prices starting from just $12.90 for a pair of sturdy sandals and with most sport shoes and sneakers priced competitively between $32.90 and $49.90, it is easy to see the appeal of Payless. It’s a little unfortunate that some of the brands carried by the chain like Airwalk and Dexter are less recognisable than desired but Payless has collaborated with Christian Siriano whom you might remember as the youngest winner of popular reality show Project Runway for its Christian Siriano for Payless range of ladies high heels and dance shoes. In what could only be described as mass market appeal, designer goods paraded in the chain’s stores won’t even scratch the hundred dollar mark.

With the launch of its stores here, Payless is quick to introduce an innovative semi-self service concept that may just make your shopping experience a more hassle free and convenient one. To decide on the perfect fit for your feet, Payless offers a foot measuring device which immediately allows you to pinpoint the exact size of your foot. A helpful size comparison chart is also on hand to assist you in easily converting between European and American shoe sizes. With your size determined, it’s easy to search for that perfect pair as each block of shelves in the store is dedicated to a particular size. The aim is to allow shoppers to quickly locate and try the pair that best fits them instead of harrying the salespeople to pick the shoes with the right fit from the storeroom. With a foot size of 11, I often find shoe purchases troublesome as display sets are often smaller sized and I have to wait for the salesperson to get the right pair before I could try my desired shoes on. At Payless, finding the right fit was a breeze.

In addition to footwear, Payless also sells a healthy sweep of accessories like tote bags, sunglasses, hats and belts. With 3 stores at Suntec City (#02-31/33/35/37), Centrepoint (#02-32/33/34) and Changi City Point (#01-04/05), Payless hopes to expand to more outlets in the town in the near future.

Story by Loh Yong Jian