It's time for springtime BOGO at Payless

This is another retailer you should revisit if you'd previously written them off as too cheap-looking or not fashion-forward enough. Their styles are fresh and updated, and they've brought in designers for their own lines in much the same way Target has.

In addition to the mainstream Dexter and American Eagle brands (and those include men's shoes, too, incidentally), Payless now carries shoes by designers Abaete, Lela Rose, alicia + olivia, and zoe&zac, and that's not even the entire list. If you're passing up Payless because you think they have nothing to offer, you're missing out.

Their line of handbags has been similarly updated, so you can do quite well on both shoes and handbags without breaking the bank--especially when their BOGO promotions are underway.

I've been frustrated in the past when I saw a pair of shoes in one of their Sunday ad circulars but arrived at my local store to find it out of stock in my size. Fortunately, you can shop from Payless' website now and have the shoes shipped to your local store for pickup, which saves you shipping charges (you can also have them shipped directly to your address, but unless you buy $50 or more, you'll have to pay shipping charges). Unless I'm on a browsing mission, that's the only way I shop with Payless anymore, and it's wonderfully headache-free.

Their spring lines have the usual assortment of strappy sandals and colorful flats, but you'll also find very up-to-the-moment stacked-heel platform sandals and romanesque flat sandals.

And because this post is coming around just a week shy of Earth Day, I also want to point out Payless' latest charitable endeavor:

Payless ShoeSource® will contribute $1 to The Nature Conservancy'sPlant a Billion Trees Campaign for each resuable bag purchased from 4/13/09 to 12/31/09 and $1 from each zoe&zac™ branded product sold between 4/13/09 and 5/4/09. Payless ShoeSource® will make a minimum total contribution for 2009 of $100,000 from the sales of these items and other merchandise in 2009.

Go check out what's new on their website, take advantage of the BOGO promotion while it lasts (now through May 4), save the shipping charges by having your order sent to the store, and take it all home in a reusable bag--save some money, do a little good for the environment, and look fabulous from the ankles down.