Document:

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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.10

                         PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. 401(K)
                               PROFIT SHARING PLAN

  As Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2002, or as otherwise specified

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                                TABLE OF CONTENTS
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                                                                                                                    PAGE
<S>                                                                                                                 <C>
SECTION 1 - Definitions..........................................................................................     2
     1.01    Accounts............................................................................................     2
     1.02    Administrative Delegate.............................................................................     2
     1.03    After-Tax Contributions.............................................................................     2
     1.04    Allocation Pay Amount...............................................................................     2
     1.05    Associate...........................................................................................     2
     1.06    Authorized Leave of Absence.........................................................................     3
     1.07    Before-Tax Contributions............................................................................     3
     1.08    Beneficiary.........................................................................................     3
     1.09    Board...............................................................................................     3
     1.10    Code................................................................................................     3
     1.11    Committee...........................................................................................     3
     1.12    Company.............................................................................................     3
     1.13    Company Accounts....................................................................................     3
     1.14    Company Matching Contributions......................................................................     3
     1.15    Company Profit Sharing Contributions................................................................     3
     1.16    Effective Date......................................................................................     3
     1.17    Employer............................................................................................     3
     1.18    ERISA...............................................................................................     4
     1.19    Fiduciary...........................................................................................     4
     1.20    Fiscal Year.........................................................................................     4
     1.21    Group...............................................................................................     4
     1.22    Hour of Service.....................................................................................     4
     1.23    Investment Fund.....................................................................................     4
     1.24    May Plan............................................................................................     4
     1.25    Member..............................................................................................     4
     1.26    Member Accounts.....................................................................................     5
     1.27    Member After-Tax Accounts...........................................................................     5
     1.28    Member Before-Tax Accounts..........................................................................     5
     1.29    Member Contributions................................................................................     5
     1.30    Member Rollover Contribution Accounts...............................................................     5
     1.31    Military Service....................................................................................     5
     1.32    Net Profits.........................................................................................     5
     1.33    Pay.................................................................................................     5
     1.34    Pooled Investment Account...........................................................................     6
     1.35    Plan................................................................................................     6
     1.36    Plan Year...........................................................................................     6
     1.37    Prior Plan..........................................................................................     6
     1.38    Qualified Domestic Relations Order..................................................................     6
     1.39    Retirement..........................................................................................     6
     1.40    Rollover Contributions..............................................................................     6
     1.41    Social Security Wage Base...........................................................................     6
     1.42    Total and Permanent Disability or Disability........................................................     6
     1.43    Transferred Accounts................................................................................     6
     1.44    Trust Agreement.....................................................................................     6
     1.45    Trust Fund..........................................................................................     6
     1.46    Trustee.............................................................................................     7
     1.47    Unit................................................................................................     7
     1.48    Unit Value..........................................................................................     7
     1.49    Valuation Date......................................................................................     7
     1.50    Year of Service.....................................................................................     7
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     1.51    Vesting Service.....................................................................................     7
SECTION 2 - Membership...........................................................................................     9
     2.01    Conditions of Eligibility...........................................................................     9
     2.02    Re-Employment.......................................................................................    10

SECTION 3 - Company Contributions................................................................................    11
     3.01    Amount of Company Profit Sharing Contribution.......................................................    11
     3.02    Amount of Company Matching Contribution.............................................................    11
     3.03    Allocation of Company Contributions.................................................................    11
     3.04    Profit Sharing Allocation Formula...................................................................    11
     3.05    Investment of the Company Contribution..............................................................    11
     3.06    Return of Company Contributions.....................................................................    12

SECTION 4 - Member Contributions.................................................................................    13
     4.01    Procedure for Making Contributions..................................................................    13
     4.02    Limitations On And Distributions On Before-Tax Contributions For Highly Compensated Employees.......    15
     4.03    Distributions of Excess Deferrals...................................................................    17
     4.04    Limitations On And Distributions Of After-Tax Employee Contributions And Matching
             Contributions For Highly Compensated Employees......................................................    17
     4.05    Limitations On Multiple Use of Alternative Limitation...............................................    18

SECTION 5 - Investment Provisions................................................................................    20
     5.01    Investment Funds....................................................................................    20
     5.02    Investment Direction................................................................................    20

SECTION 6 - Accounts.............................................................................................    22
     6.01    Member Accounts.....................................................................................    22
     6.02    Company Accounts....................................................................................    22
     6.03    Maintenance of Accounts.............................................................................    22
     6.04    Valuation of Accounts...............................................................................    22
     6.05    Member Statements...................................................................................    22
     6.06    Shares of Payless ShoeSource, Inc. in the Payless Common Stock Fund.................................    22
     6.07    Vesting in Member and Company Accounts..............................................................    23

SECTION 7 - Expenses.............................................................................................    27
     7.01    Administrative Expenses.............................................................................    27

SECTION 8 - Withdrawals During Employment........................................................................    28
     8.01    Withdrawals Prohibited Unless Specifically Authorized...............................................    28
     8.02    Authorized Withdrawals..............................................................................    28

SECTION 9 - Benefits Upon Retirement, Death, Disability or Termination of Employment.............................    30
     9.01    Benefits............................................................................................    30
     9.02    Beneficiary.........................................................................................    30

SECTION 10 - Payment of Benefits.................................................................................    31
     10.01     Time of Payment...................................................................................    31
     10.02     Form of Payment...................................................................................    32
     10.03     Indirect Payment of Benefits......................................................................    32
     10.04     Inability to Find Member..........................................................................    32
     10.05     Commencement of Benefit Distribution to Members...................................................    32
     10.06     Commencement of Benefit Distribution to Beneficiary...............................................    32
     10.07     Commencement of Benefit Distribution to Alternate Payee...........................................    32
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SECTION 11 - Permitted Rollover of Plan Distributions............................................................    34
     11.01     Rollover to Other Plans...........................................................................    34
     11.02     Rollover from Other Plans.........................................................................    34
     11.03     Definitions.......................................................................................    35

SECTION 12 - Loans...............................................................................................    37
     12.01     Availability of Loans.............................................................................    37
     12.02     Amount of Loans...................................................................................    37
     12.03     Terms of Loans....................................................................................    37

SECTION 13 - Limit on Contributions to the Plan..................................................................    39
     13.01     Limit on Contributions............................................................................    39
     13.02     Adjustment for Excessive Annual Additions.........................................................    39

SECTION 14 - Administration of the Plan..........................................................................    41
     14.01     Plan Administrator................................................................................    41
     14.02     Delegation of Authority...........................................................................    41
     14.03     Committee and Subcommittees.......................................................................    41
     14.04     Accounts and Reports..............................................................................    42
     14.05     Non-Discrimination................................................................................    43

SECTION 15 - Management of the Trust Fund........................................................................    44
     15.01     Use of the Trust Fund.............................................................................    44
     15.02     Trustees..........................................................................................    44
     15.03     Investments and Reinvestments.....................................................................    44

SECTION 16 - Certain Rights and Obligations of Employers and Members.............................................    46
     16.01     Disclaimer of Employer Liability..................................................................    46
     16.02     Employer-Associate Relationship...................................................................    46
     16.03     Binding Effect....................................................................................    46
     16.04     Corporate Action..................................................................................    46
     16.05     Claim and Appeal Procedure........................................................................    46

SECTION 17 - Non-Alienation of Benefits..........................................................................    48
     17.01     Provisions with Respect to Assignment and Levy....................................................    48
     17.02     Alternate Application.............................................................................    48

SECTION 18 - Amendments..........................................................................................    49
     18.01     Company's Rights..................................................................................    49
     18.02     Procedure to Amend................................................................................    49
     18.03     Provision Against Diversion.......................................................................    49

SECTION 19 - Termination.........................................................................................    50
     19.01     Right to Terminate................................................................................    50
     19.02     Withdrawal of an Employer.........................................................................    50
     19.03     Distribution in Event of Termination of Trust.....................................................    50
     19.04     Administration in Event of Continuance of Trust...................................................    50
     19.05     Merger, Consolidation or Transfer.................................................................    50

SECTION 20 - Construction........................................................................................    51
     20.01     Applicable Law....................................................................................    51
     20.02     Gender and Number.................................................................................    51
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SECTION 21 - Top-Heavy Requirements..............................................................................    52
     21.01     Generally.........................................................................................    52
     21.02     Minimum Allocations...............................................................................    52
     21.03     Participants Under Defined Benefit Plans..........................................................    52
     21.04     Determination of Top Heaviness....................................................................    52
     21.05     Calculation of Top-Heavy Ratios...................................................................    53
     21.06     Cumulative Accounts and Cumulative Accrued Benefits...............................................    53
     21.07     Other Definitions.................................................................................    54
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                            PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.
                           401(K) PROFIT SHARING PLAN

                                  INTRODUCTION

         Effective April 1, 1996, Payless ShoeSource, Inc. withdrew from and
ceased to be a participating Employer in The May Department Stores Company
Profit Sharing Plan (the "May Plan"), and established the Payless ShoeSource,
Inc. Profit Sharing Plan (the "Plan"). Effective January 1, 1997, a portion of
the Plan covering Associates of Payless ShoeSource of Puerto Rico, Inc. was spun
off. As of August 1, 1997, Payless amended and restated the Plan, primarily to
establish a company matching contribution based on Members' contributions
effective January 1, 1998, to institute automatic enrollment in before-tax
contributions by Members, and to comply with certain changes in the law. On June
1, 1998, Payless restructured its corporate organization into a holding company
structure with Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as the parent
corporation and the named Company for this Plan. Effective March 20, 2000, the
Company amended and restated the Plan, primarily to include provisions for loans
and the acceptance of rollover contributions from other qualified plans, a
change to daily valuation and other miscellaneous changes.

         Now, effective January 1, 2002, the Company is amending and restating
the Plan to effect the adoption of mandatory and certain permissive provisions
of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 ("EGTRRA"). The
EGTRRA amendments to the Plan are intended to be made in good faith compliance
with the requirements of EGTRRA and are to be construed in accordance with
EGTRRA and guidance issued thereunder. While the EGTRRA amendments are generally
effective January 1, 2002, some of the amendments are effective May 1, 2002, as
indicated below. In addition, effective May 1, 2002, the Plan is amended to
permit Full Time Associates to participate in the Plan upon the completion of 90
days of employment service with a participating Employer or other member of the
Group. Other amendments made herein are effective on the dates as specified.

         The terms and provisions of this new plan are as follows:

                                       1

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                                    SECTION 1

                                   DEFINITIONS

         1.01     ACCOUNTS means the Company Accounts and Member Accounts
established under Section 6.

         1.02     ADMINISTRATIVE DELEGATE means one or more persons or
institutions to which the Committee has delegated certain administrative
functions pursuant to a written agreement.

         1.03     AFTER-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS means Member Contributions which are
not Before-Tax Contributions and which are made by the Member in accordance with
Section 4.01(a).

         1.04     ALLOCATION PAY AMOUNT means with respect to each eligible
Member, (a) one (1) times the amount of Pay as defined in Section 1.33 up to the
Social Security Wage Base ("SSWB") for the Plan Year, plus (b) two (2) times the
amount of such Pay in excess of the SSWB for the Plan Year. Notwithstanding any
provision of this Section 1.04 or of Section 3.03 to the contrary, in no event
shall the percentage of Members' Pay to be allocated for any year below the SSWB
be less than fifty percent (50%) of the percentage of Pay allocated with respect
to Members' Pay in excess of the SSWB, nor may the latter percentage of Pay
(above the SSWB) exceed the former percentage of Pay (below the SSWB) by more
than 5.7% (or such other percentage as may be the maximum permitted differential
under Code Section 401(1) from time to time).

         In determining each eligible Member's Allocation Pay Amount, only Pay
received during the part of the Plan Year the Member is eligible for the Company
Contribution feature of the Plan, pursuant to Section 2, shall be considered,
and the SSWB to be applied for such Member shall be proportionally prorated if
such eligibility is for less than a full Plan Year.

         Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Plan Year for which
applying the definition of Allocation Pay Amount set forth above would cause the
allocation made pursuant to Section 3.03 to violate the permitted disparity
limitations of Treas. Reg. Section 1.401(l)-2, Allocation Pay Amount shall be
adjusted to permit Section 3.03 to operate in compliance with the limitations of
Treas. Reg. Section 1.401(l)-2.

         1.05     ASSOCIATE means any person who is classified as an employee by
an Employer and who receives Pay from an Employer. The term Associate also may
include, based upon the express written determination of the Company or the
Committee, a U.S. citizen employed, at the request of the Company, by a member
of the Group (defined in Section 1.21) to the extent such employee otherwise
qualifies for membership under Section 2, in which case such Group member shall
be deemed to be an "Employer" hereunder, as to such person or persons only. The
term "Associate" shall not include (i) any person covered under a collective
bargaining agreement unless and until the Employer and the collective bargaining
representatives so agree, (ii) any non-resident alien, and (iii) any "leased
employee" within the meaning of Code Section 414(n)(2).

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         1.06     AUTHORIZED LEAVE OF ABSENCE means any leave of absence
authorized by the Employer under rules established by the Employer.

         1.07     BEFORE-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS means contributions which the Member
elects (in accordance with Section 4.01(b)) to have the Employer make directly
to the Plan on behalf of the Member, which election shall constitute an election
under Code Section 401(k)(2)(A). The "Member's Before-Tax Contributions" shall
refer to Before-Tax Contributions made to the Plan by the Employer on behalf of
the Member.

         1.08     BENEFICIARY means the person or persons entitled under Section
9.02 to receive any payments payable under this Plan on account of a Member's
death.

         1.09     BOARD means the Board of Directors of the Company.

         1.10     CODE means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from
time to time.

         1.11     COMMITTEE means the Profit Sharing Committee comprised of
three or more members as determined and appointed from time to time by the
Board.

         1.12     COMPANY means Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, and any other organization which may be a successor to it.

         1.13     COMPANY ACCOUNTS means accounts reflecting the portion of each
Member's interest in the Investment Funds which are attributable to Company
Matching Contributions ("Company Matching Accounts") and to Company Profit
Sharing Contributions ("Company Profit Sharing Accounts") and to any
contributions made by an Employer under prior plans, as well as to any income
and/or earnings attributable to such Company Contributions and prior plan
contributions.

         1.14     COMPANY MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS means contributions made by the
Company or an Employer, based on a Member's Before-Tax and/or After-Tax
Contributions, pursuant to Section 3.02.

         1.15     COMPANY PROFIT SHARING CONTRIBUTIONS means discretionary
contributions made by the Company or an Employer, based on Net Profits, pursuant
to Section 3.03.

         1.16     EFFECTIVE DATE originally meant April 1, 1996. However, the
effective date of this amendment and restatement of the Plan shall be March 20,
2000, unless otherwise specified herein.

         1.17     EMPLOYER means the Company and, if authorized by the Company
to participate herein, any subsidiary of the Company or any affiliated
corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship which elects to participate
herein.

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         1.18     ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended from time to time.

         1.19     FIDUCIARY means the Employer, the Trustee, each of the members
of the Committee described in Section 14, and any investment manager designated
pursuant to Section 15.

         1.20     FISCAL YEAR means the Company's Fiscal Year.

         1.21     GROUP means the Company and any other company which is related
to the Company as a member of a controlled group of corporations in accordance
with Code Section 414(b), as a trade or business under common control in
accordance with Code Section 414(c) or as an affiliated service group in
accordance with Code Section 414(m) or the regulations under Code Section
414(o). For the purposes of the Plan, for determining whether or not a person is
an employee of the Group and the period of employment of such person, each such
other company shall be included in the "Group" only for such period or periods
during which such other company is a member with the Company of a controlled
group or under common control.

         1.22     HOUR OF SERVICE means any hour for which an Associate
(including a leased employee) is directly or indirectly compensated, or entitled
to compensation, by the Employer or by any member of the Group, whether or not
such Group member has adopted the Plan, for any of the following:

         (a)      the performance of duties during the applicable computation
         period;

         (b)      a period during which no duties are performed (irrespective of
         whether the employment relationship has terminated) due to vacation,
         holiday, illness, incapacity (including disability), layoff, jury duty,
         Military Service, or Authorized Leave of Absence;

         (c)      a period for which back pay is awarded or agreed to, provided
         that no Hour of Service has been credited under subsection (a) or (b)
         with respect to the same period.

         Hours of Service and applicable computation periods shall be determined
in accordance with the requirements of 29 C.F.R. Section 2530.200b.

         1.23     INVESTMENT FUND means any fund for investment of contributions
as described in Section 5.01.

         1.24     MAY PLAN means The May Department Stores Company Profit
Sharing Plan.

         1.25     MEMBER means any person included in the membership of this
Plan as provided in Section 2.

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         1.26     MEMBER ACCOUNTS means the Member Before-Tax Accounts, the
Member After-Tax Accounts and the Member Rollover Contribution Accounts. To the
extent an Associate makes a Rollover Contribution pursuant to Section 11.02 and
the Associate is otherwise eligible but has not yet completed the participation
requirements of Section 2.01, such contribution shall also be a Member Account.

         1.27     MEMBER AFTER-TAX ACCOUNTS means the Member Accounts with
respect to a Member's After-Tax Contributions.

         1.28     MEMBER BEFORE-TAX ACCOUNTS means the Member Accounts with
respect to a Member's Before-Tax Contributions.

         1.29     MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS means the Member's Before-Tax
Contributions and After-Tax Contributions.

         1.30     MEMBER ROLLOVER CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNTS means the Member
Accounts with respect to an Associate's or Member's Rollover Contributions.

         1.31     MILITARY SERVICE means effective December 13, 1996, any period
of obligatory military service with the Armed Forces of the United States of
America, or voluntary service in lieu of such obligatory service, provided that
the Associate returns to active employment with the Employer within the period
during which the Employer would be required to re-employ the Associate under
Federal law. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary,
contributions, benefits, loan repayment and service credit with respect to
qualified Military Service will be provided in accordance with Code Section
414(u).

         1.32     NET PROFITS means the consolidated net profits of the Company
for any given Fiscal Year, determined by generally accepted accounting
principles except that (i) no deduction or provision shall be made for any
federal, state or other taxes measured by net income, nor for any contributions
to the Trust or to any other pension or profit sharing plan, and (ii) there
shall be excluded any proceeds from life insurance of which the Company is
beneficiary (whether paid in a single sum or otherwise) and any gains or losses
on the sale of capital assets. Such term shall also mean any accumulated and
undistributed Net Profits (as defined in the preceding sentence) earned in prior
Fiscal Years to the extent that such accumulated and undistributed Net Profits
constitute surplus of the Company and its subsidiaries available for
contributions hereunder.

         1.33     PAY means the aggregate of (i) all regular pay, commissions,
overtime pay, cash incentives, prizes and cash awards, plus (ii) amounts which
the Associate elects to have the Employer contribute directly to the Plan on the
Associate's behalf in accordance with Section 4.01(b). Pay shall include any
amounts not otherwise includable in the Member's taxable income pursuant to Code
Section 125. Pay shall not include amounts for a pension, a retirement
allowance, a retainer or a fee under contract, deferred compensation (including
amounts deferred under the Deferred Compensation Plan of The May Department
Stores Company and the Deferred Compensation Plan of Payless ShoeSource, Inc.),
severance pay, distributions from this Plan,

                                       5

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amounts earned before an individual becomes a Member, or items of extraordinary
income including but not limited to amounts resulting from the exercise of stock
options, spinoff cash, spinoff stock and restricted stock awards. Pay in excess
of $200,000 shall be disregarded, although such amount shall be adjusted at the
same time and in such manner as permitted under Code Section 415(d).

         1.34     POOLED INVESTMENT ACCOUNT means an account established
pursuant to an administrative services agreement between the Company and the
Trustee.

         1.35     PLAN means this Payless ShoeSource Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing
Plan.

         1.36     PLAN YEAR means a calendar year ending each December 31.

         1.37     PRIOR PLAN means either The May Department Stores Company
Profit Sharing Plan, the Volume Shoe Corporation Profit Sharing Plan, or such
other qualified plan as may be so designated by the Committee.

         1.38     QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER means a "qualified domestic
relations order" as that term is defined in Code Section 414(p), provided that
such order was entered on or after January 1, 1985.

         1.39     RETIREMENT means a Member's termination of employment on or
after age 55 and after completing at least five (5) Years of Service or
attaining the fifth anniversary of participation, as of which date the Member's
benefit shall be nonforfeitable.

         1.40     ROLLOVER CONTRIBUTIONS means contributions which the Associate
or Member, as applicable, elects to make in accordance with Section 11.02.

         1.41     SOCIAL SECURITY WAGE BASE means, with respect to each Plan
Year, the maximum amount of wages which are subject to tax in such year under
the Federal Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance System.

         1.42     TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY OR DISABILITY means the
qualification for disability under Title 11 of the Federal Social Security Act.

         1.43     TRANSFERRED ACCOUNTS means Member and Company Accounts
transferred from the May Plan.

         1.44     TRUST AGREEMENT means the agreement or agreements provided for
in Section 14, as amended from time to time.

         1.45     TRUST FUND means all the assets of the Investment Funds and
any other assets which are held in one or more trusts by the Trustee or Trustees
for the purposes of this Plan.

                                       6

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         1.46     TRUSTEE means the corporation(s), person or persons which may
at any time be acting as Trustee or Trustees under the Trust Agreement.

         1.47     UNIT means one of the units representing an interest in an
Investment Fund as provided in Section 6.03.

         1.48     UNIT VALUE means the value of each Unit in an Investment Fund
as of the Valuation Date as determined pursuant to Section 6.04.

         1.49     VALUATION DATE means any day that the New York Stock Exchange
is open for business or any other date chosen by the Committee. Prior to March
31, 2000, Valuation Date means the last business day of each calendar month and
any other date chosen to perform a valuation.

         1.50     YEAR OF SERVICE for purposes of determining eligibility under
Section 2 means a year of employment during which the Associate has been paid
for not less than 1,000 Hours of Service for an Employer or any other member of
the Group. An Associate shall be credited with a year of employment on each
anniversary date of his commencement of employment with an Employer during which
he earns not less than 1,000 Hours of Service for an Employer or any other
member of the Group. Periods of temporary illness, temporary layoff, Military
Service, and Authorized Leaves of Absence shall not be deemed as breaking
continuity of employment and shall be counted in determining Years of Service.
The term "Year of Service" shall also include an employment year during which,
except to the extent otherwise provided in Treasury Regulations, a "leased
employee" within the meaning of Code Section 414(n) has been paid for not less
than 1,000 Hours of Service for the Employer even though during such period the
leased employee was not an Associate as defined in Section 1.05. The term "Year
of Service" shall include any period required to be included by the Family and
Medical Leave Act of 1993.

         The extent to which service with another organization, part or all of
whose business operations are acquired by the Company (or by an Employer), shall
be credited as "Years of Service" hereunder or as "Vesting Service" under
Section 1.51 shall be determined by the Company or by the Committee on a
case-by-case basis.

         1.51     VESTING SERVICE for purposes of determining a Member's vested
interest under Section 6.07 is based on "elapsed time" and is to be determined
in accordance with the following definitions:

         (a)      "EMPLOYMENT COMMENCEMENT DATE" means the date upon which an
         Associate first performs an Hour of Service.

         (b)      "HOUR OF SERVICE" means an hour for which an Associate is paid
         or entitled to payment for the performance of duties for the Employer
         or any other member of the Group.

                                       7

<PAGE>

         (c)      "PERIOD OF SERVICE" means a period beginning on the
         Associate's Employment Commencement Date (or Reemployment Commencement
         Date, as the case may be) and ending on his Severance from Service
         Date.

         (d)      "SEVERANCE FROM SERVICE DATE" means the earlier to occur of:

                  (i)      the last date upon which an Associate terminates
                  employment with the Employer or any other member of the Group
                  (either voluntarily or involuntarily), retires or dies; or

                  (ii)     the first anniversary of the date upon which the
                  Associate was first absent from service with the Employer
                  (with or without pay) for any other reason (i.e., vacation,
                  sickness, disability, leave of absence or layoff).

         Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Severance from Service Date of an
Associate who is absent from service with the Employer beyond the first
anniversary of the first day of such absence on account of maternity or
paternity (as described in Code Sections 410(a)(5)(E) or 411(a)(6)(E)) shall be
the second anniversary of the first day of such absence; and the period of time
between such first and second anniversaries shall not be treated as a Period of
Service or as a Period of Severance.

         (e)      "PERIOD OF SEVERANCE" means a period beginning on an
Associate's Severance from Service Date and ending upon the Associate's
Reemployment Commencement Date.

         (f)      "REEMPLOYMENT COMMENCEMENT DATE" means the first date,
following a Severance from Service Date, upon which the Associate performs an
Hour of Service for the Employer or any other member of the Group.

         (g)      "SERVICE SPANNING RULES." In determining whether or not an
Associate has completed a twelve month Period of Service for purposes of
vesting, the following Periods of Severance shall be treated as Periods of
Service:

                  (i)      If an Associate terminates employment with the
                  Employer (either voluntarily or involuntarily) or retires, and
                  then performs an Hour of Service within the twelve month
                  period beginning on the Severance from Service Date, such
                  Period of Severance shall be treated as a Period of Service;
                  and

                  (ii)     If an Associate terminates employment with the
                  Employer (either voluntarily or involuntarily) or retires
                  during an absence from service of twelve months or less for
                  any reason other than a termination or retirement, and then
                  performs an Hour of Service within a period of twelve months
                  from the date the Employee was first absent from service, the
                  Period of Severance shall be treated as a Period of Service.

                                       8

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 2

                                   MEMBERSHIP

         2.01     CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY.

         (a)      Each Associate who on April 30, 2002 was a Member of or is
         eligible to be a Member of the Plan shall continue to be a Member of
         this Plan entitled to make Member Contributions pursuant to Section 4
         and eligible to share in Company Contributions pursuant to Section 3.

         (b)      Each other Associate shall be eligible to become a Member of
         the Plan when the Associate has completed one Year of Service and
         attained age 21, with membership to commence as of the first day of the
         month coincident with or following the date he has met these
         eligibility requirements. Such Associate shall be eligible:

                  (i)      to make Member Contributions pursuant to Section 4;

                  (ii)     to share in Company Matching Contributions pursuant
                  to Section 3.02;

                  (iii)    to share in Company Profit Sharing Contributions, if
                  any, pursuant to Section 3.01.

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Full Time Associate shall be
         eligible to make Member Contributions pursuant to Section 4 as of the
         first day of the month coincident with or following the date he has
         completed 90 days of employment with the Employer and attained age 21.
         For the purposes of the preceding sentence, a "Full Time Associate" is
         an Associate classified on the Employer's records as a Full Time
         Associate. In many locations, this means the Associate is normally
         scheduled to work 32 or more hours per week. However, the Associate's
         classification on the Employer's records, and not the actual number of
         hours worked in any period, determines Full Time status.

         (c)      Each Member shall be deemed to have elected to make a three
         percent (3%) Before-Tax Contribution pursuant to Section 4.01(b),
         commencing with the first paycheck issued with respect to the first
         payroll period beginning on or after the first day of the month
         coincident with or following the date the Employer determines he met
         the foregoing eligibility requirements. Notwithstanding this "deemed"
         election, an Associate or Member may elect pursuant to procedures
         established by the Committee to not make, or to suspend making, said
         three percent (3%) automatic Before-Tax Contribution, or pursuant to
         Section 4.01(a) or (b) to make an After-Tax or a Before-Tax
         Contribution of an amount other than three percent (3%).

         (d)      Associates employed by the Company's Puerto Rican Subsidiaries
                  are not eligible for membership hereunder. If any such
                  Associate has Accounts in this Plan, such

                                       9

<PAGE>

                  Accounts shall continue to be revalued as of each succeeding
                  Valuation Date pursuant to Section 6.04.

         2.02     RE-EMPLOYMENT. A former Member who has retired or has
otherwise terminated employment and is rehired shall become a Member on the
first day of the calendar month after the Employer becomes aware of his rehire.

                                       10

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 3

                              COMPANY CONTRIBUTIONS

         3.01     AMOUNT OF COMPANY PROFIT SHARING CONTRIBUTION. The Company or
an Employer may contribute to the Trust, as of the end of each Plan Year, a
percentage of the Company's Net Profits as a Company Profit Sharing
Contribution. The amount of such contribution, if any, shall be determined by
the Board of Directors in its discretion. Any such contribution shall be made as
soon as practicable after the close of the Company's Fiscal Year. All such
contributions advanced to the Plan by the Company shall be reimbursed to the
Company by the Employer.

         3.02     AMOUNT OF COMPANY MATCHING CONTRIBUTION. The Company shall, in
its discretion, contribute to the Trust, as of the end of each Plan Year, a
total combined amount as to this Plan and the Payless ShoeSource, Inc. Profit
Sharing Plan for Puerto Rico Associates ("Puerto Rico Plan") equal to 2 1/2% of
its Net Profits, until determined otherwise by the Board of Directors, in the
form of a Company Matching Contribution. Such contribution may be made by an
Employer, rather than by the Company, as to that Employer's participating
Associates. The total amount of such contribution shall be allocated in
proportion to the amount that each Member's Contributions under Sections 4.01(a)
and (b) for such Plan Year, up to a total of 5% of such Member's Pay, bears to
the total amount of all Member Contributions up to 5% of such Members' Pay. Such
Company Matching Contribution shall be determined and paid to the Trustee as
soon as practicable after the close of each Fiscal Year.

         3.03     ALLOCATION OF COMPANY CONTRIBUTIONS. The Company Contributions
shall be allocated only to the Company Accounts of Members who are employed by
the Employer on the last day of the Plan Year and on behalf of Members whose
employment has terminated during the Plan Year by reason of Retirement, death or
Disability. Company Profit Sharing Contributions shall be credited to eligible
Members' Company Profit Sharing Contribution Accounts. Company Profit Sharing
Contributions allocated prior to or as of July 31, 1997 shall be fully vested;
Company Profit Sharing Contributions allocated thereafter shall be subject to
the vesting provisions of Section 6.07. Company Matching Contributions shall be
subject to the vesting provisions of Section 6.07 and to the withdrawal penalty
provisions of Section 8.02(a). No Company Matching Contribution shall be made
with respect to a Member Before-Tax Contribution in excess of the Code Section
402(g) and 414(v) limit, as revised from time to time.

         3.04     PROFIT SHARING ALLOCATION FORMULA. The Company Profit Sharing
Contribution, if any, shall be allocated to all Members eligible to share in the
contribution according to the ratio that each Member's Allocation Pay Amount for
the Plan Year bears to the total Allocation Pay Amount for all eligible Members
for the Plan Year. For this purpose the term eligible Members includes Members
in both the Puerto Rico Plan and this Plan.

         3.05     INVESTMENT OF THE COMPANY CONTRIBUTION. The amounts allocated
to each Member pursuant to Section 3.03 shall be credited to his Company
Accounts and invested in one

                                       11

<PAGE>

or more of the Investment Funds described in Section 5.01 and in the percentages
designated by the Member in the investment election filed pursuant to Section
5.02 effective at the time the amount is allocated.

         3.06     RETURN OF COMPANY CONTRIBUTIONS.

         (a)      If, after the Company Contribution has been made and
         allocated, it should appear that, through oversight or a mistake of
         fact or law, a Member (or an Associate who should have been considered
         a Member) who should have been entitled to share in such contribution,
         receives no allocation or receives an allocation which was less than he
         should have received, the Company may, at its election and in lieu of
         reallocating such contribution, make a special make-up contribution for
         the Company Account of such Member in an amount sufficient to provide
         for him the same addition to his Company Account as he should have
         received. Similarly, if a Member received an allocation which was more
         than he should have received (or an Associate was inappropriately
         included in the Plan), the Company, at its election, may reallocate
         such contribution, offset other Company contributions against such
         allocation, or use such allocation to pay Plan expenses.

         (b)      Each contribution made to the Trust shall be made on the
         condition that it is currently deductible by the Company or Employer
         under Code Section 404 for the taxable year with respect to which the
         contribution is made. If a contribution subsequently is determined,
         whether in whole or in part, not to be currently deductible as provided
         in the preceding sentence, then, within one year of the date of
         disallowance of the deduction of such Company Contribution, an amount
         equal to the disallowed deduction shall be returned to the Company or
         Employer.

         (c)      Earnings attributable to a contribution that is returned
         pursuant to Subsection (a) or (b) above shall not be withdrawn, but
         losses attributable thereto shall reduce the amount returned to the
         Company and/or Employer.

                                       12

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 4

                              MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS

         4.01     PROCEDURE FOR MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS.

         (a)      AFTER-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS. Subject to the limitations set forth
         in Sections 4.02, 4.03 and 4.04, each Member may contribute to the Plan
         an amount (in whole percentage points) equal to not less than 1% nor
         more than 15% (effective May 1, 2002, 75%) of his Pay as he shall have
         designated pursuant to procedures established by the Company (which may
         establish lower permissible After-Tax Contributions for Highly
         Compensated Employees); provided, however, that a Member shall not
         contribute, or elect to have contributed on his behalf, amounts with
         respect to Pay received by him after the close of the calendar year
         during which his employment terminates and further provided that any
         Before-Tax Contributions made on behalf of the Member shall reduce, by
         the percentage which he elects to have contributed pursuant to Section
         4.01(b)(i), the percentage of Pay that the Member may contribute
         pursuant to this Section 4.01(a).

         (b)      BEFORE-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS.

                  (i)      Subject to the limitations set forth below, each
                  Member may elect that his Employer shall contribute directly
                  to the Trust Fund an amount equal to a whole percentage of his
                  Pay, not less than 1% nor greater than such percentage as may
                  be determined from time to time by the Company which amount
                  shall be his Before-Tax Contribution. The maximum Before-Tax
                  Contribution by a Member determined to be a Highly Compensated
                  Employee under Section 4.02, for the Plan Year in question,
                  may be further restricted or limited by the Company or
                  Committee from time to time.

                  (ii)     Pursuant to Section 2.01(c), each eligible Member
                  shall be deemed to have elected to make a three percent (3%)
                  Before-Tax Contribution, unless the Member elects otherwise in
                  accordance with procedures established by the Committee.

         (c)      Notwithstanding any election in accordance with Section
         4.01(b), if the Committee at any time determines that all or any
         portion of the Member's Before-Tax Contributions should be treated as
         After-Tax Contributions in order for the Before-Tax Contribution
         provisions of the Plan to qualify as a "qualified cash or deferred
         arrangement" for purposes of Code Section 401(k), or if the Actual
         Deferral Percentage standards set forth in Code Section 401(k)(3) are
         not met at the end of the Plan Year, then the Committee, in its sole
         and absolute discretion,

                  (i)      may, in accordance with Section 4.02 below, limit the
                  amount which shall be contributed by the Employer as
                  Before-Tax Contributions after the date of such determination
                  on behalf of all or any portion of the Members and,

                                       13

<PAGE>

                  (ii)     may, except with respect to situations in which
                  Section 4.01(h) applies, (and prior to March 15 of the
                  calendar year following the Plan Year in which such
                  contributions are made) declare all or such portion of the
                  Before-Tax Contributions theretofore or thereafter made on
                  behalf of all or a portion of the Members to be After-Tax
                  Contributions. Effective January 1, 1997, if Before-Tax
                  Contributions are made to another plan or plans, this Plan and
                  such other plans must be aggregated for purposes of Section
                  410(b) of the Code (other than the average benefit percentage
                  test).

         (d)      The Employer shall (i) deduct a Member's After-Tax
         Contributions from the Pay of the Member in such installments as the
         Employer may deem appropriate, (ii) contribute a Member's Before-Tax
         Contributions on behalf of the Member, and (iii) reduce the Pay that is
         paid to the Member directly in cash by an amount equal to the Member's
         Before-Tax Contributions in such installments as the Employer shall
         deem appropriate. The amounts so deducted and so contributed shall be
         paid by the Employer to the Trustee not later than 15 days following
         the end of the month with respect to which such amounts are to be so
         deducted and contributed or within such shorter period of time as may
         be designated under the Code, ERISA or related regulations. The
         Employer may, from time to time, make estimated contribution payments
         to the Trustee during each month.

         (e)      Effective with the first payroll period beginning in any
         calendar month, or as of such other effective time as may be determined
         by the Committee, a Member may elect to change the rate of his
         After-Tax Contributions to any other rate permitted by Subsection (a)
         of this Section 4.01 and may elect to change the amount to be
         contributed by the Employer directly to the Trust Fund as Before-Tax
         Contributions to an amount equal to an amount permitted by Subsection
         (b) of this Section 4.01 with respect to such contributions to be made
         after the effective date of the election, pursuant to procedures
         established by the Committee.

         (f)      Not later than 15 days prior to the beginning of a payroll
         period of a Member, or not later than such other date as may be
         determined by the Committee, such Member may elect, pursuant to
         procedures established by the Committee, (i) to suspend making
         After-Tax Contributions and (ii) that the Employer should suspend
         making Before-Tax Contributions on his behalf, all as of the beginning
         of such payroll period. Not later than 15 days prior to the beginning
         of a payroll period of a Member, or not later than such other date as
         may be determined by the Committee, such Member may elect (i) to resume
         making After-Tax Contributions and, (ii) that the Employer shall resume
         making Before-Tax Contributions on his behalf, by indicating any amount
         of contributions permitted under Subsection (a) and designating an
         amount equal to any amount of Pay as Before-Tax Contributions that is
         permitted under Subsection (b) hereof.

         (g)      Contributions pursuant to this Section 4.01 shall be credited
         to Member Accounts.

                                       14

<PAGE>

         (h)      Notwithstanding any election in accordance with Subsection
         (b), the total amount of a Member's Before-Tax Contributions and other
         contributions made by the Member under Code Section 401(k) to another
         plan qualified under Code Section 401(a) for any calendar year shall
         not exceed $11,000 (as adjusted from time to time by the Secretary of
         the Treasury or his delegate, pursuant to Code Section 415(d)). If any
         Member may reach the $11,000 limit (as adjusted) the Committee can
         direct that all or any portion of such Member's Contributions during
         such year shall be After-Tax Contributions regardless of such Member's
         elections pursuant to Sections 4.01(a) and 4.01(b). Effective May 1,
         2002, all employees who are eligible to make elective deferrals under
         this Plan and who have attained age 50 before the close of the Plan
         Year shall be eligible to make catch-up contributions in accordance
         with, and subject to the limitations of, section 414(v) of the Code.
         Such catch-up contributions shall not be taken into account for
         purposes of the provisions of the Plan implementing the required
         limitations of sections 402(g) and 415 of the Code. The Plan shall not
         be treated as failing to satisfy the provisions of the Plan
         implementing the requirements of sections 401(k)(3), 401(k)(11),
         401(k)(12), 410(b), or 416 of the Code, as applicable, by reason of the
         making of such catch-up contributions.

         (i)      The Committee shall provide each new Member a notice that
         explains the procedure for making Before-Tax Contributions under
         Sections 4.01(b) and 2.01(c), including the Member's right to elect to
         make no Before-Tax Contribution from his or her Pay and the manner in
         which the amount of such contributions may be changed. In addition, the
         Committee shall provide an annual notice to each Member indicating his
         or her Before-Tax Contributions as a percentage of Pay, describing the
         right to alter and the procedure for changing such percentage, and
         explaining the timing for implementation of any such change.

         4.02     LIMITATIONS ON AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF BEFORE-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS
FOR HIGHLY COMPENSATED EMPLOYEES.

                  The Committee is authorized to reduce to the extent necessary
the maximum contributions under Section 4.01(b) for Highly Compensated Employees
prior to the close of the Plan Year if the Committee reasonably believes that
the reduction is necessary to prevent the Plan from failing Code Section
401(k)(3). Such adjustments shall be made in accordance with rules prescribed by
the Employer.

                  If the Plan fails to satisfy Code Section 401(k)(3), the Plan

shall correct the failure within 12 months after the last day of such Plan Year
under any method of combination of methods allowed under Code Section 401(k)(8)
or Treasury Regulation Section 1.401(k)-1(f), taking into account any
adjustments necessary due to changes to Code Section 401(k)(8)(C) that are
reflected in the regulations. For purposes of this Section 4.01, the actual
deferral percentage of Non-Highly Compensated Employees shall be determined as
of the Plan Year for which the Plan must satisfy one of the tests in Code
Section 401(k)(3), unless the Employer elects to determine such actual deferral
percentage as of the Plan Year preceding the Plan Year for which

                                       15

<PAGE>

the Plan must satisfy one of the tests in Code Section 401(k)(3). Any such
election shall not be changed except as provided by the Secretary of the
Treasury.

                  Effective January 1, 1997, if for any Plan Year, the Plan
satisfies neither of the tests set forth in Code Section 401(k)(3), the Trustee
shall be directed by the Committee to return to each Highly Compensated Employee
his or her portion of the excess contributions (plus the income or less the loss
allocable to such excess contributions) for such Plan Year within 12 months
after the last day of such Plan Year. A Highly Compensated Employee shall
forfeit any Matching Contributions which were contributed on account of any
portion of the excess contributions even if such Matching Contributions are
vested. Each Highly Compensated Employee's portion of the excess contributions
for a Plan Year shall be determined under a two step process. First, the
aggregate amount of excess contributions shall be calculated. This shall be done
by reducing the actual deferral percentages of those Highly Compensated
Employees with the highest actual deferral percentages to the extent necessary
but not below the next highest level of actual deferral percentages. This
process shall be repeated, to the extent necessary, until the actual deferral
percentages for the group of Highly Compensated Employees satisfies one of the
tests set forth in Code Section 401(k)(3). The aggregate amount of excess
contributions shall be calculated by multiplying the actual deferral percentage
reduction for each Highly Compensated Employee by his or her compensation
(within the meaning of Code Section 414(s)) for the Plan Year and adding the
product of each such multiplication. Second, the aggregate amount of excess
contributions to be returned shall be allocated by reducing the Before-Tax
Contributions of those Highly Compensated Employees with the highest amount of
Before-Tax Contributions to the extent necessary but not below the next highest
amount of Before-Tax Contributions. This process shall be repeated, to the
extent necessary, until all excess contributions to be returned shall be
allocated among the Highly Compensated Employees. The income or loss allocable
to a Highly Compensated Employee's portion of the excess contribution will be
determined under such reasonable method as the Committee shall establish,
provided the method does not discriminate in favor of Highly Compensated
Employees, is used consistently for all Members and for all corrective
distributions under the Plan for the Plan Year, and is used by the Plan for
allocating income to Members' accounts.

                  If the Trustee is required to distribute both elective
deferrals and excess contributions for a Plan Year, the Trustee shall (a)
calculate and distribute elective deferrals before determining the excess
contributions to be distributed to Highly Compensated Employees; (b) calculate
the actual deferral percentage including the amount of excess deferrals
distributed pursuant to (a) above; and (c) distribute excess contributions to
Members by reducing the excess contributions distributed to a Member by the
amount of excess elective deferrals distributed to such Member.

                  The actual contribution percentage and the actual deferral
percentage of a Highly Compensated Employee who is eligible to participate in
two or more qualified plans which have cash or deferred arrangements or matching
contributions or after-tax contributions features (other than an employee stock
ownership plan) maintained by the Employer or a member of the Group shall be
calculated by treating all such cash or deferred arrangements in which the
Highly Compensated Employee is eligible to participate as one cash or deferred
arrangement for purposes

                                       16

<PAGE>

of calculating the actual deferral percentage for such Highly Compensated
Employee, and all such features in which the Highly Compensated Employee is
eligible to participate as one feature for purposes of calculating the actual
contribution percentage for such Highly Compensated Employee with respect to
years ending within the same calendar year.

         4.03     DISTRIBUTIONS OF EXCESS DEFERRALS.

                  If a Member's elective deferrals for any calendar year exceed
         $10,500 (or such higher amount prescribed under Section 402(g) of the
         Code), then the Member may file an election form prescribed by the
         Committee with the Employer/Company designating in writing the amount
         of the Member's Excess Before-Tax Deferrals to be distributed from this
         Plan. Any such election form must be filed with the Committee no later
         than the first March 1 following the close of such calendar year in
         order for the Committee to act on it. If such an election form is
         timely filed, the Trustee shall distribute to the Member the amount of
         such Excess Before-Tax Deferrals which the Member has allocated to this
         Plan together with any income or less any loss allocable to such amount
         on or before the first April 15 following the close of such calendar
         year. In the case of a Highly Compensated Employee, any matching
         contributions which were contributed on account of the Excess
         Before-Tax Deferrals being distributed will be forfeited, even if such
         matching contributions are vested. For purposes of this Section 4.03,
         the income or loss allocable to such Excess Before-Tax Deferrals will
         be determined under such reasonable method as the Committee shall
         establish, provided the method does not discriminate in favor of Highly
         Compensated Employees, is used consistently for all Members and for all
         corrective distributions under the Plan for the Plan Year, and is used
         by the Plan for allocating income to Members' accounts.

         4.04     LIMITATIONS ON AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF AFTER-TAX EMPLOYEE
CONTRIBUTIONS AND MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS FOR HIGHLY COMPENSATED EMPLOYEES.

         The Committee is authorized to reduce to the extent necessary the
maximum amount of Employee After-Tax Contributions and Employer Matching
Contributions under Sections 4.01(a) and 3.02 contributed on behalf of any
Highly Compensated Employee prior to the close of the Plan Year if the Committee
reasonably believes that such adjustment is necessary to prevent the Plan from
failing Code Section 401(m)(2). Such reduction shall be made in accordance with
rules prescribed by the Employer.

         If the Plan fails to satisfy Code Section 401(m)(2), the Plan shall
correct the failure within 12 months after the last day of such Plan Year under
any method or combination of methods allowed under Treasury Regulation
1.401(m)-1(e), taking into account any adjustments necessary due to changes to
Code Section 401(m)(6)(c) that are not reflected in the regulations. For
purposes of this Section 4.04, the actual contribution percentage of Non-Highly
Compensated Employees shall be determined as of the Plan Year for which the Plan
must satisfy one of the tests in Code Section 401(m)(2), unless the Employer
elects to determine such actual contribution

                                       17

<PAGE>

percentage as of the Plan Year preceding the Plan Year for which the Plan must
satisfy one of the tests in Code Section 401(m)(2). Any such election shall not
be changed except as provided by the Secretary of the Treasury.

                  Effective January 1, 1997, if for any Plan Year, the Plan
fails to satisfy either of the tests set forth in Code Section 401(m)(2), the
Trustee shall be directed by the Committee to distribute to each Highly
Compensated Employee his or her vested portion (and forfeit the nonvested
portion) of the excess aggregate contributions (plus the income or less the
losses allocable to such excess aggregate contributions) for such Plan Year
within 12 months after the last day of such Plan Year. Each Highly Compensated
Employee's portion of the excess aggregate contributions for a Plan Year shall
be determined under a two step process. First, the aggregate amount of excess
aggregate contributions shall be calculated. This shall be done by reducing the
actual contribution percentages of those Highly Compensated Employees with the
highest actual contribution percentages to the extent necessary but not below
the next highest level of actual contribution percentages. This process shall be
repeated, to the extent necessary, until the actual contribution percentage for
the group of Highly Compensated Employees satisfies one of the tests set forth
in Code Section 401(m)(2). The aggregate amount of excess aggregate
contributions shall be calculated by multiplying the actual contribution
percentage reduction for each Highly Compensated Employee by his or her
compensation (within the meaning of Code Section 414(s)) for the Plan Year and
adding the product of each such multiplication. Second, the aggregate amount of
excess aggregate contributions to be distributed or forfeited shall be allocated
by first reducing any After-Tax Contributions and then any Matching
Contributions made by or on behalf of Highly Compensated Employees with the
highest total amount of After-Tax Contributions and Matching Contributions to
the extent necessary but not below the next highest total amount of After-Tax
Contributions and Matching Contributions. This process shall be repeated, to the
extent necessary, until all excess aggregate contributions to be distributed or
forfeited shall be allocated among the Highly Compensated Employees. A Highly
Compensated Employee whose After-Tax Contributions are determined to be excess
aggregate contributions shall forfeit any Matching Contributions which were
contributed on account of such After-Tax Contributions, even if such Matching
Contributions are vested. The income or loss allocable to a Highly Compensated
Employee's portion of the excess aggregate contributions will be determined
under such reasonable method as the Committee shall establish, provided the
method does not discriminate in favor of Highly Compensated Employees, is used
consistently for all Members and for all corrective distributions under the Plan
for the Plan Year, and is used by the Plan for allocating income to Members'
accounts.

         4.05     LIMITATIONS ON MULTIPLE USE OF ALTERNATIVE LIMITATION.

                  (a)      Repeal of Multiple Use Test.

                                    The Multiple use test described in Treasury
                           Regulation section 1.401(m)-2 shall not apply for
                           Plan Years beginning after December 31, 2001.

                                       18

<PAGE>

                  (b)      Special Definitions.

                                    All terms used in this Section 4 shall have
                           the meaning given such terms in Code Sections 401(k)
                           and 401(m) and the regulations thereunder.

                                       19

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 5

                              INVESTMENT PROVISIONS

         5.01     INVESTMENT FUNDS.

         (a)      There shall be established as part of the Trust Fund a
         reasonable range of investment options. The Committee may from time to
         time, in its discretion, change, delete or add Investment Funds
         available within the Trust Fund; provided that unless and until the
         Plan is amended accordingly, the Plan shall continue to provide a
         Payless Common Stock Fund as an investment option.

         (b)      Income from and proceeds of sales of investments in each
         Investment Fund shall be reinvested in the same Investment Fund. Any
         income or other taxes payable with respect to a Fund shall be charged
         to such Fund.

         (c)      A Trustee may, from time to time, make temporary investments
         in short term obligations of the United States Government, commercial
         paper, or other investments of a short term nature, pending investment
         in an Investment Fund.

         5.02     INVESTMENT DIRECTION.

         (a)      A Member may elect that his Member Contributions be invested
         in 1% increments totaling 100% in one or more of the Investment Funds.
         Such election must be made pursuant to procedures prescribed by the
         Committee. Such election shall be effective until and unless a Member
         makes a different election for any period, but only as provided for
         under Subsection 5.02(b) and Subsection 5.02(c). If the Member fails to
         file a timely initial investment election, he shall be deemed to have
         elected to have 100% of his Member Contributions invested in the
         stable, fixed income investment as may be determined by the Committee.
         Until such time as the Committee determines otherwise and so notifies
         Members, a Member's share of any Company Contributions, when allocated
         as of Plan Year-end, shall be invested in the same Investment Funds in
         the same proportions as the Member has elected in connection with
         investment of his Member Contributions at the time the Company
         Contribution is contributed to the Trust.

         (b)      A Member may change his election with respect to future Member
         and Company Contributions effective pursuant to procedures prescribed
         by the Committee and may not change his election in any other manner
         except as provided in Subsection 5.02(c).

         (c)      Effective as of the date determined by the Committee, and
         pursuant to procedures prescribed by the Committee, a Member may elect
         to have any or all of the value in any of the Investment Funds which
         are credited to his Member and/or Company Accounts transferred and
         invested in any one or more of the Investment Funds.

                                       20

<PAGE>

         (d)      Notwithstanding this Section 5.02, effective March 20, 2000,
         during the black out period as determined by the Committee and the
         Trustee established to change to daily valuation or a change in
         recordkeepers, no investment transfers or changes may be made by a
         Member unless provided in Section 6.06. Notwithstanding anything to the
         contrary, no loans, withdrawals or distributions shall be made during
         any such blackout period except as provided by the Committee.

                                       21

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 6

                                    ACCOUNTS

         6.01     MEMBER ACCOUNTS. The Committee shall maintain or cause to be
maintained for each Member under each Investment Fund in which his Member
Contributions are invested separate Member Accounts which shall reflect the
portion of his interest in such Investment Fund which is attributable to his
contributions. The Member's After-Tax Contributions shall be credited to a
separate Member After-Tax Account. The Member's Before-Tax Contributions shall
be credited to a separate Member Before-Tax Account. The Member's or Associate's
Rollover Contribution shall be credited to a separate Member Rollover
Contribution Account.

         6.02     COMPANY ACCOUNTS. The Committee shall maintain or cause to be
maintained for each Member under each Investment Fund in which his Company
Contributions are invested separate Company Accounts which shall reflect the
portion of his interest in such Investment Fund which is attributable to Company
Contributions, as well as to contributions made by an Employer under prior plans
and to any income or earnings attributable to such Company Contributions and
prior plan contributions. The Member's Company Matching Contributions shall be
credited to a separate Company Matching Contribution Account. The Member's
Company Profit Sharing Contribution, if any, shall be credited to a separate
Company Profit Sharing Contribution Account.

         6.03     MAINTENANCE OF ACCOUNTS. For the purposes of maintaining
Accounts pursuant to this Section 6, each Investment Fund shall be divided into
Units, and the Interest of each Member in such Investment Fund shall be
evidenced by the number of Units in such Investment Fund credited to his
Accounts.

         6.04     VALUATION OF ACCOUNTS. As of each Valuation Date the Committee
shall determine the value of a Unit in each Account by dividing the current
market value of all property in each such Account as of such Valuation Date
(after deducting any expenses or other amounts including withdrawals properly
chargeable against such Account) by the number of Units then outstanding to the
credit of all Members in each such Account.

         6.05     MEMBER STATEMENTS. The Committee shall furnish or cause to be
furnished to each Member a statement of his Company and Member Accounts, at
least once each year, or more frequently if required by applicable law.

         6.06     SHARES OF PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. ("PAYLESS STOCK") IN THE
PAYLESS COMMON STOCK FUND.

         (a)      Each Member (or beneficiary of a deceased Member) who has
         Accounts invested in the Payless Common Stock Fund shall, as a named
         fiduciary within the meaning of Section 403(a)(1) of ERISA, have the
         right to direct the Trustee with respect to the vote of the number of
         shares of Payless Stock attributable to Units credited to him in the
         Payless

                                       22

<PAGE>

         Common Stock Fund as of the latest practicable Valuation Date prior to
         or contemporaneous with the record date set by the Company for each
         meeting of shareowners of the Company. For such purpose the Trustee
         shall furnish to each such Member prior to each such meeting the proxy
         statement for such meeting, together with a form to be returned to the
         Trustee on which may be set forth the Member's instructions as to the
         manner of voting such shares of stock. Upon receipt of such
         instructions, the Trustee shall vote such shares in accordance
         therewith. If a Member's instructions are not received by the Trustee
         in a timely manner, the Trustee shall vote such Member's shares in the
         same proportion as the shares of Common Stock for which instructions
         were actually timely received from Members. The Trustee shall not
         divulge the instructions of any Member.

         (b)      Each Member (or beneficiary of a deceased Member) who has
         Accounts invested in the Payless Common Stock Fund shall, as a named
         fiduciary within the meaning of Section 403(a)(1) of ERISA, have the
         right with respect to the number of shares of Payless Stock
         attributable to Units credited to him in the Payless Common Stock Fund
         as of the latest practicable Valuation Date, to direct the Trustee in
         writing as to the manner in which to respond to a tender or exchange
         offer with respect to Payless Stock, and the Trustee shall respond in
         accordance with the instructions so received. The Trustee shall utilize
         its best efforts to timely distribute or cause to be distributed to
         each Member such information as will be distributed to shareowners of
         the Company in connection with any such tender or exchange offer,
         together with a form requesting instructions on whether or not such
         shares will be tendered or exchanged. If the Trustee shall not receive
         timely direction from a Member as to the manner in which to respond to
         such a tender or exchange offer, the Trustee shall not tender or
         exchange any shares of Payless Stock with respect to which such Member
         has the right of direction. Tenders as a result of a self-tender offer
         by the Company shall continue notwithstanding any investment change
         blackout. The Trustee shall not divulge the instructions of any member.
         The proceeds from the tender or exchange of shares attributable to
         Units in Payless Common Stock Investment Fund accounts of Members shall
         be transferred to one of the Investment Funds described in Section 5.01
         pursuant to a procedure established by the Committee.

         6.07     VESTING IN MEMBER AND COMPANY ACCOUNTS.

         (a)      VESTING SCHEDULE. A Member shall have a fully vested interest
         at all times (i) in his Member Accounts and (ii) in his Company Profit
         Sharing Contribution Account balance determined as of July 31, 1997. A
         Member who has completed at least two full Years of Service as of
         August 1, 1997 also shall be fully vested at all times (i) in his
         Company Matching Contribution Account and (ii) in his Company Profit
         Sharing Contribution Account determined at any time after July 31,
         1997. The Company Matching Contribution Account of a Member who is not
         or was not credited with at least two Years of Service as of August 1,
         1997 and his Company Profit Sharing Contribution Account attributable
         to Company Profit Sharing Contributions, if any, based on such Member's

                                       23

<PAGE>

         eligibility for such contributions after August 1, 1997, shall vest
         according to the following schedule:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 Vesting Service                                            Vested Interest
 ---------------                                            ---------------
<S>                                                         <C>
Fewer than 2 years                                                 0%

     2 years                                                      25%

     3 years                                                      50%

     4 years                                                      75%

 5 years or more                                                 100%
</TABLE>

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Member's interest in his
         Company Matching Contribution Account and his Company Profit Sharing
         Contribution Account shall become fully vested if the Member terminates
         employment on account of Retirement, death or Disability.

         (b)      CASH-OUT DISTRIBUTIONS TO PARTIALLY VESTED MEMBERS AND
         RESTORATION OF FORFEITURES. If, pursuant to Section 10.01, a
         partially-vested Member receives a cash-out distribution before he
         incurs a Forfeiture Break in Service (as defined in Subsection (e)
         below), the cash-out distribution will result in an immediate
         forfeiture of the nonvested portion(s) of the Member's Company Matching
         and Company Profit Sharing Contribution Account(s). See Subsection (e)
         below. A partially-vested Member is a Member whose Vested Interest,
         determined under Section 6.07(a), in either his Company Matching
         Contribution Account or his Company Profit Sharing Contribution
         Account, or both, is less than 100%. A cash-out distribution is a
         distribution of the entire vested portion of the Member's Account(s).

                  (i)      A partially-vested Member who is reemployed by an
                  Employer after receiving a cash-out distribution of the vested
                  portion of his Account(s) shall have such forfeited amount
                  restored, unless the Member no longer has a right to
                  restoration under this subparagraph (i). The amount restored
                  by the Plan Administrator shall be the same dollar amount as
                  the dollar amount of his Account(s) on the Valuation Date
                  immediately preceding the date of the cash-out distribution,
                  unadjusted for any gains or losses occurring subsequent to
                  that Valuation Date but reduced by the amount of the prior
                  cash-out distribution. Restoration of the Member's Account
                  balance(s) includes restoration of all Code Section 411(d)(6)
                  protected benefits with respect to the restored Account(s) in
                  accordance with applicable Treasury regulations. The Plan
                  Administrator will not restore a reemployed Member's Account
                  balance(s) under this subparagraph (i) if the Member has
                  incurred a Forfeiture Break in Service (as defined in
                  Subsection (d) below).

                                       24

<PAGE>

                  (ii)     If restoration of the Member's Account(s) is
                  permitted under subparagraph (i) above, the Plan Administrator
                  will restore the Member's Account(s) on the same day as the
                  date of allocation of the Company Contribution for the Plan
                  Year during which such Member was reemployed by an Employer.
                  To restore the Member's Account(s), the Plan Administrator, to
                  the extent necessary, will allocate to the Member's
                  Account(s):

                           (A)      first, the amount, if any, of Member
                           forfeitures otherwise available for allocation under
                           Subsection (f) below;

                           (B)      second, deductible Employer contributions
                           for the Plan Year to the extent made under a
                           discretionary formula; and

                           (C)      third, as otherwise permitted by law.

The Plan Administrator will not take into account any allocation under this
Subsection (b) in applying the limitation on allocations under Section 13.

                  (iii)    The deemed cash-out rule applies to a 0% vested
                  Member. A 0% vested Member is a Member whose Account(s)
                  derived from Employer contributions is (are) entirely
                  forfeitable at the time of his termination of employment.
                  Under the deemed cash-out rule, the Plan Administrator will
                  treat the 0% vested Member as having received a cash-out
                  distribution on the date of the Member's termination of
                  employment or, if the Member's Account(s) is (are) entitled to
                  an allocation of Employer contributions for the Plan Year in
                  which he terminates employment, on the last day of that Plan
                  Year.

         (c)      DETERMINATION OF VESTING SERVICE. For purposes of determining
         a Member's Vested Interest in his Company Contributions Account(s)
         under Subsection (a) above, a Member shall be credited with that number
         of years of Vesting Service determined by adding together all of the
         Associate's Periods of Service, whether or not consecutive.
         Notwithstanding the foregoing, Vesting Service shall not include any
         Period of Service before the Plan Year in which an Associate attains
         age eighteen (18). Only whole years of service shall be taken into
         account for purposes of applying the schedule set forth in Subsection
         (a) above, and, for purposes of determining a Member's number of whole
         years of service, non-successive Periods of Service must be aggregated,
         with 365 days of service being deemed to constitute one year. For
         purposes of determining a Member's Period of Service, the Service
         Spanning rules described in Section 1.51(g) shall apply.

         (d)      FORFEITURE BREAK IN SERVICE. For purposes of this Section
         6.07, a "Break in Service" is a Period of Severance of at least 365
         consecutive days. A "Forfeiture Break in Service" occurs when a Member
         or former Member incurs 5 consecutive Breaks in Service.

                                       25

<PAGE>

         (e)      FORFEITURE OCCURS. A Member's forfeiture, if any, of his
         Account balance(s) derived from Company contributions occurs under the
         Plan on the earlier of:

                  (i)      the last day of the last pay period ending within the
                  Plan Year in which the Member first incurs a Forfeiture Break
                  in Service; or

                  (ii)     the date the Member receives a cash-out distribution.

                  The Plan Administrator shall determine the percentage of a
         Member's Account(s) forfeiture, if any, under this Subsection (e)
         solely by reference to the vesting schedule of Section 6.07(a). As of
         the last day of each Plan Year, the total amount of forfeitures which
         occurred during such Plan Year shall be calculated and such amount
         shall be applied (i) to restore under (b) above any amounts previously
         forfeited from rehired Members' Accounts, (ii) to pay Administrative
         Expenses under Section 7.01 and (iii) the balance, if any, shall be
         added to and allocated with the Company Matching Contribution for that
         Plan Year.

         (f)      FORMER MAY PLAN MEMBERS. The provisions of this Subsection (f)
         apply to a Member who previously was employed by the Employer, when it
         was part of the Group which included The May Department Stores Company,
         and who at the termination of his employment had Company Accounts in
         the May Plan which were forfeited as a result of termination of
         employment. If such Member has not incurred five consecutive Breaks in
         Service as defined in Section 6.07(b), the value of the Member's
         Company Account forfeited under the May Plan will be restored under
         this Plan (in the manner described in Subsection (b) above) and will be
         100% vested.

                                       26

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 7

                                    EXPENSES

         7.01     ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. To the extent permitted by applicable
law, the costs and expenses for administering this Plan, consisting of Trustee
fees and expenses, Investment Manager fees and expenses, fees and expenses of
outside experts, expenses of maintaining records under Section 6 of the Plan,
and all other administrative expenses of the Plan, shall be paid out of the
Trust Fund unless the Company elects to pay them with its own funds. Costs
incident to the purchase and sale of securities, such as brokerage fees,
commissions and stock transfer fees, are not regarded as administrative expenses
and shall be borne by the appropriate Investment Fund as determined by the
Trustee or Committee.

                                       27

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 8

                          WITHDRAWALS DURING EMPLOYMENT

         8.01     WITHDRAWALS PROHIBITED UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED. No
withdrawal from the Plan shall be permitted prior to a Member's termination of
employment, except as provided in Section 8.02.

         8.02     AUTHORIZED WITHDRAWALS.

         (a)      Prior to his termination of employment, a Member may elect to
withdraw, in cash, any or all of the value in his Member After-Tax Accounts.
However, in the event a Member elects to withdraw all or a portion of his
After-Tax Contributions made after August 1, 1997, such Member shall forfeit his
right to fifty percent (50%) of the Company Matching Contribution, if any,
otherwise allocable in connection with his Member Contributions for the Plan
Year in which the withdrawal occurs.

         (b)      Prior to his termination of employment, a Member may elect to
withdraw, in the event of a "hardship", an amount in cash up to (i) the total
amount of the Before-Tax Contributions made to the Trust on his behalf, or (ii)
the value in his Member Before-Tax Account, whichever is less. In any event the
amount withdrawn may not be greater than the amount determined by the Committee
as being required to meet the immediate financial need created by the "hardship"
and not reasonably available from other resources of the Member, whichever
amount is less. The term "hardship" means a heavy financial hardship in light of
immediate and heavy financial needs as determined by the Committee in accordance
with Internal Revenue Service regulations. The amount of an immediate and heavy
financial need may include any amounts necessary to pay any federal, state or
local taxes or penalties reasonably anticipated to result from the distribution.
The determination shall be made in a nondiscriminatory manner. Hardship shall
include but not be limited to the following:

                  (i)      Medical expenses described in Code Section 213(d)
                  previously incurred by the Member, the Member's spouse, or any
                  of the Member's dependents (as defined in Code Section 125) or
                  necessary for these persons to obtain medical care described
                  in Section 213(d);

                  (ii)     Purchase (excluding mortgage payments) of a principal
                  residence for the Member;

                  (iii)    Payment of tuition, related educational fees, and
                  room and board expenses for the next 12 months of
                  post-secondary education for the Member, his or her spouse,
                  children, or dependents (as defined in Code Section 152);

                  (iv)     The need to prevent the eviction of the Member from
                  his or her principal residence or foreclosure on the mortgage
                  of the Member's principal residence.

                                       28

<PAGE>

                  The Committee may adopt written guidelines which identify
additional circumstances constituting hardship and which provide procedures to
be followed in the administration of hardship withdrawal requests, which
guidelines are hereby incorporated herein.

                  In addition, such hardship must be one which in the judgment
of the Committee, based on the Member's representations, cannot be relieved (1)
through reimbursement or compensation by insurance or otherwise, (2) by
reasonable liquidation of the Member's assets to the extent such liquidation
would not itself cause an immediate and heavy financial need, (3) by cessation
of Member Contributions under the Plan, (4) by other distributions or loans from
employee benefit plans, including this Plan, maintained by the Company or any
other employer or (5) by borrowing from commercial sources on reasonable
commercial terms. The Member shall be required to submit documentation, to be
determined by the Committee, with his hardship withdrawal request to enable the
Committee to make a judgment regarding the validity of such hardship withdrawal
request. For any Member who has attained age 59 1/2, the "hardship" requirement
shall be deemed waived.

         (c)      A Member who was a Participant in or eligible to be a
Participant in the Volume Shoe Corporation Profit Sharing Plan (the "Volume
Plan") as of December 31, 1988 and who had an account balance in the Volume Plan
attributable to Employer Contributions made to the Volume Plan before July 31,
1976 and which account became a Company Account under The May Department Stores
Company Profit Sharing Plan and which has been transferred to this Plan, shall
be entitled to withdraw the market value of such account balance determined (and
frozen) as of December 31, 1988.

         (d)      Associates with Member Rollover Contribution Accounts may
elect to withdraw their Member Rollover Contribution Accounts prior to
termination of employment.

         (e)      A withdrawal election shall be made pursuant to application
procedures established by the Committee. Contribution totals and Account values
shall be determined as of the Valuation Date coinciding with or next following
the filing of the withdrawal election. If the Member Accounts from which
withdrawal is made are in more than one Investment Fund, the withdrawal shall be
pro rata from each such Investment Fund except in the case the Member is subject
to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or has been designated as a
"Designated Insider," in which case such Member's withdrawal will be taken first
from such Member's Investment Funds other than the Payless Common Stock Fund.

                                       29

<PAGE>

                                    SECTION 9

    BENEFITS UPON RETIREMENT, DEATH, DISABILITY OR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT

         9.01     BENEFITS. Upon a Member's Retirement, death, Disability, or
other termination of employment, the value of his Member Accounts and of his
vested Company Accounts shall be determined as of the Valuation Date prior to
the date the distribution is calculated. A temporary Authorized Leave of Absence
for Military Service or for other purposes approved by the Employer shall not,
while any such Authorized Leave of Absence is validly in effect, be regarded as
a termination of employment.

         9.02     BENEFICIARY. Any benefits payable on account of a Member's
death shall be paid to such Member's spouse. If such Member has no spouse or if
such Member's spouse shall have consented to the naming of another beneficiary,
such benefits shall be paid to the person or persons (including, without
limitation, estates, trust, or other entities) last named as beneficiary by such
Member on an appropriate form filed with the Committee. A spouse's consent shall
acknowledge the effect of the consent and be in writing, witnessed by a Plan
representative or notary public. A spouse's consent shall be irrevocable. If no
beneficiary has been so named or the named beneficiary does not survive the
Member, any payment to be made under this Plan on account of a Member's death
shall be paid to such Member's spouse, or, if he has no spouse, to such Member's
estate. Whenever permitted by the Code or regulations thereunder, the Committee
may waive the requirements that a spouse's consent be obtained. Such waiver may
be on a case by case basis or by categories.

                                       30

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 10

                               PAYMENT OF BENEFITS

         10.01    TIME OF PAYMENT.

         (a)      All amounts distributable to a Member or Beneficiary pursuant
         to Section 9 shall, unless the Member makes an approved election
         pursuant to Section 10.01(b) or 10.01(c), be paid in a lump sum payment
         to be made as soon as practicable after the Valuation Date as of which
         the Account values are determined pursuant to Section 9.01; provided,
         however, that any additional amounts which may be allocated to a
         Member's Company Accounts resulting from a Company Contribution in
         respect of the calendar year in which employment terminates shall be
         paid as soon as practicable after such contribution.

                  Notwithstanding any provision of this Section 10 to the
         contrary, if the present value of the nonforfeitable accrued benefit of
         a Member, including Company and Member Contributions (but excluding
         accumulated deductible employee contribution, if any) exceeds (or for
         distributions made prior to March 22, 1999, ever has exceeded) $5,000,
         no partial or total distribution shall be made unless the Member has
         consented thereto in writing in the manner required by law.

         (b)      A Member who was a Member of the May Plan as of June 30, 1990
         may elect that all Transferred Accounts distributable to him pursuant
         to Section 9 shall be paid in annual installments over a period not to
         exceed ten years beginning with the Valuation Date as of which the lump
         sum payment would otherwise be made. In the event of the death of a
         Member prior to the expiration of such period, all amounts which have
         not been distributed to him shall be paid in a lump sum to his
         designated Beneficiary or his estate if there is no designated
         Beneficiary. Subject to the foregoing, each such installment shall be
         paid as of a Valuation Date and, until all the Accounts of the Member
         have been fully distributed, they shall continue to be revalued as of
         each succeeding Valuation Date pursuant to Section 6.04.

                  Notwithstanding the paragraph above, a Member who as of
         December 31, 1988 was or was entitled to be a Participant in the Volume
         Shoe Corporation Profit Sharing Plan may elect that all Transferred
         Accounts distributable to him pursuant to Section 9 be paid in the form
         of equal monthly installments over a period not to exceed 120 months.
         Such payments shall otherwise be made in accordance with the foregoing
         portion of this Subsection 10.01(b).

         (c)      A Member who is entitled to receive a distribution in excess
         of $5,000 may elect to defer such distribution to the required minimum
         distribution age, as determined by law from time to time. An election
         to defer distribution shall conform to such requirements as to form,
         content, manner, and timing as shall be determined by the Committee and
         which requirements shall be applied in a manner which does not
         discriminate in favor of

                                       31

<PAGE>

         Members who are highly compensated employees (within the meaning of
         Code Section 414(q)). All Accounts of a Member who elects to defer his
         distribution shall continue to be revalued as of each succeeding
         Valuation Date pursuant to Section 6.04. A deferred distribution shall
         be paid when such Member attains the required minimum distribution age
         or at such earlier or later time as shall be determined by the
         Committee as permitted by law. In the event of the death of a Member
         prior to distribution of the deferred amounts, all amounts shall be
         distributed in a lump sum to his designated Beneficiary or to his
         estate if there is no designated Beneficiary. The value for payment
         shall be determined as of the Valuation Date coincident with or next
         following such Member's birthday coincident with the Member's required
         minimum distribution age or such other payment date determined by the
         Committee.

         10.02    FORM OF PAYMENT. All distributions shall be made in the form
of cash, except that distributions from the Payless Common Stock Fund shall be
made in the form of full shares of Payless Common Stock, as applicable (with
payment in cash for a fraction of a share) or in cash if elected by the Member
or Beneficiary. The rights extended to a Member hereunder shall also apply to
any Beneficiary or alternate payee of such Member.

         10.03    INDIRECT PAYMENT OF BENEFITS. If any Member or Beneficiary has
been adjudged to be legally, physically or mentally incapable or incompetent,
payment may be made to the legal guardian or other legal representative of such
Member or Beneficiary as determined by the Committee. Such payments shall
constitute a full discharge with respect thereto.

         10.04    INABILITY TO FIND MEMBER. If a Member or Beneficiary or other
person to whom a benefit payment is due cannot be found during the three years
subsequent to the date a distribution was required to be made under this Plan,
the Accounts shall be forfeited at the end of such three-year period. The value
of such Accounts as of the date the distribution was required to be made shall
be restored if such Member or Beneficiary or other person makes a claim.

         10.05    COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION TO MEMBERS. In accordance
with Code Section 401(a)(9) and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder,
distributions to a Member must commence not later than the first day of April
following the calendar year in which the Member attains age 70 1/2.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, distribution to a Member who is not a "five
percent owner" as defined in Section 20.10(f)(3) shall commence not later than
April 1 following the calendar year in which the Member attains age 70 1/2 or,
if later, the calendar year in which the Member retires.

         10.06    COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION TO BENEFICIARY.
Distributions to the Beneficiary entitled under Section 9.02 to receive any
payments payable under this Plan on account of a Member's death shall be made in
a lump sum payment not later than December 31 of the calendar year following the
calendar year in which the Member died.

         10.07    COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFIT DISTRIBUTION TO ALTERNATE PAYEE.
Distributions to an alternate payee entitled under Section 16.01 to receive any
payments payable under this Plan

                                       32

<PAGE>

pursuant to the terms of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order shall be made in
accordance with the terms of such Qualified Domestic Relations Order and this
Plan on or after the date on which the Member has attained his "earliest
retirement age" (as defined under Code Section 414(p)) under the Plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, distribution to an alternate payee may be made
prior to the Member's attainment of his earliest retirement age if, but only if:
(1) the Qualified Domestic Relations Order specifies distribution at that time
or permits an agreement between the Plan and the alternate payee to authorize an
earlier distribution; (2) the distribution is a single sum distribution of the
alternate payee's entire benefit entitlement under the Plan; and (3) in the
event the present value of the alternate payee's benefits under the Plan exceeds
$5,000, the alternate payee consents to any distribution occurring prior to the
Member's attainment of earliest retirement age.

         Nothing in this Section 10.07 shall be construed to permit a Member to
(1) receive a distribution at a time not otherwise permitted under the Plan, (2)
permit the alternate payee to receive a form of payment not otherwise permitted
under the Plan, or (3) cause his Plan accounts to be valued or otherwise
determined in a manner not otherwise permitted under the Plan.

                                       33

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 11

                    PERMITTED ROLLOVER OF PLAN DISTRIBUTIONS

         11.01    ROLLOVER TO OTHER PLANS. Notwithstanding any provision of the
Plan to the contrary that would otherwise limit a distributee's election under
this Section, a distributee may elect, at the time and pursuant to procedures
prescribed by the Committee, to have any portion of an eligible rollover
distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified by the
distributee in a direct rollover. Such distribution may commence no less than
thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) after any notice required under
Treas. Reg. Section 1.411(a)-11(c) (or its successor) and explanation of his
right to rollover his distribution and tax explanation in accordance with
Internal Revenue Rules are given to a Member or other distributee, provided that
the Member has been clearly informed that he has a right to a period of at least
thirty (30) days after receiving said notice to consider the decision as to
whether to elect a distribution or, if applicable, a distribution option, and
the Member nevertheless affirmatively elects distribution preceding the
expiration of thirty (30) days. A portion of the distribution shall not fail to
be an eligible rollover distribution merely because the portion consists of
after-tax Member contributions which are not includible in gross income.
However, such portion may be transferred only to an individual retirement
account or annuity described in Sections 408(a) or (b) of the Code, or a
qualified defined contribution plan described in Sections 401(a) or 403(a) of
the Code that agrees to separately account for amounts so transferred, including
separately accounting for the portion of such distribution which is includible
in gross income and the portion of such distribution which is not so includible.

         11.02    ROLLOVER FROM OTHER PLANS. An Associate eligible to
participate in the Plan, regardless of whether he has satisfied the
participation requirements of Section 2.01, may transfer to the Plan an Eligible
Rollover Distribution provided that such distribution is from an Eligible
Retirement Plan other than an individual retirement account described in Code
Section 408(a) or an individual retirement annuity described in Code Section
408(b); and, provided further, that this Plan shall not accept the portion of
any eligible rollover distribution that is not includible in gross income. If
such transfer is not a direct transfer, such a transfer may be made only if the
following conditions are met:

                  (a)      the transfer occurs on or before the 60th day
                  following the Associate's receipt of the distribution from the
                  Eligible Retirement Plan; and

                  (b)      The amount transferred is equal to any portion of the
                  distribution the Associate received from the Eligible
                  Retirement Plan, not in excess of the fair market value of all
                  property received in such a distribution reduced by employee
                  contributions, as defined in Code Section 402(a)(5)(E).

                  The Committee shall develop such procedures, and may require
                  such information, from a Member desiring to make such a
                  transfer, as it deems necessary or desirable to determine that
                  the proposed transfer will meet the requirements of the
                  Section.

                                       34

<PAGE>

                  Upon approval by the Committee or its Administrative Delegate,
                  the amount transferred shall be deposited in the Trust Fund
                  and shall be credited to the Member's account. Such rollover
                  amount shall be one hundred percent (100%) vested in the
                  Member, shall share in the income allocations in accordance
                  with Section 5, but shall not share in the Company Profit
                  Sharing Contributions, the Company Matching Contributions or
                  the forfeiture allocations. Upon termination of employment,
                  the total amount of the rollover contribution shall be
                  distributed in accordance with the terms of the Plan.

                  Upon such a transfer by an Associate who is otherwise eligible
                  to participate in the Plan but who has not yet completed the
                  participation requirement of Section 2.01, his rollover amount
                  shall represent his sole interest in the Plan until he becomes
                  a Member.

         11.03    DEFINITIONS. The following definitions shall apply for the
purposes of this Section 11:

         (a)      ELIGIBLE ROLLOVER DISTRIBUTION. An eligible rollover
         distribution is any distribution of all or any portion of the balance
         to the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover
         distribution does not include: any distribution that is one of a series
         of substantially equal periodic payments (not less frequently than
         annually) made for the life (or life expectancy) of the distributee or
         the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the distributee and the
         distributee's beneficiary or for a specified period of ten years or
         more; any distribution to the extent such distribution is required
         under Code Section 401(a)(9) and any hardship distribution.

         (b)      ELIGIBLE RETIREMENT PLAN. An eligible retirement plan is an
         individual retirement account described in Code Section 408(a), an
         individual retirement annuity described in Code Section 408(b), an
         annuity plan described in Code Section 403(a), an annuity contract
         described in Code Section 403(b), an eligible plan described in Code
         Section 457(b) maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a
         state, or any instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a
         state, or a qualified trust described in Code Section 401(a), which
         accepts or will make, as applicable, an Eligible Rollover Distribution.
         This definition shall also apply to an Eligible Rollover Distribution
         to a Member's surviving spouse, or a former spouse who is an alternate
         payee under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order.

         (c)      DISTRIBUTEE. A distributee includes a Member or former Member.
         In addition, the Member or former Member's surviving spouse and the
         Member's or former Member's spouse or former spouse who is the
         alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined
         in Code Section 414(p), are distributees with regard to the interest of
         the spouse or former spouse.

                                       35

<PAGE>

         (d)      DIRECT TRANSFER. A direct transfer is a payment by the Plan to
         the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee as described
         in Code Section 401(a)(31).

                                       36

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 12

                                      LOANS

         12.01    AVAILABILITY OF LOANS. Loans shall be permitted under this
Plan as established by the policy of the Committee. Any such loan shall be
subject to such conditions and limitations as the Committee deems necessary for
administrative convenience and to preserve the tax-qualified status of the Plan.
Loans are available to Associates who have a Member Rollover Contribution
Account.

         12.02    AMOUNT OF LOANS. No loan to any Associate, Member or
Beneficiary may be made to the extent that such loan, when added to the
outstanding balance of all other loans to the Associate, Member or Beneficiary,
would exceed the lesser of (a) $50,000 reduced by the excess (if any) of the
highest outstanding balance of loans during the one-year period ending on the
day before the loan is made, over the outstanding balance of loans from the Plan
on the date the loan is made, or (b) one-half the present value of the
nonforfeitable accrued benefit of the Participant. For the purpose of the above
limitation, all loans from all plans of the Employer and other members of a
group of employers described in Code Sections 414(b), 414(c), 414(m) and 414(o)
are aggregated. Furthermore, any loan shall by its terms require that repayment
(principal and interest) be amortized in level payments, not less frequently
than quarterly, over a period not extending beyond four and one-half years from
the date of the loan. If such loan is used to acquire a dwelling unit which
within a reasonable time (determined at the time the loan is made) will be used
as the principal residence of the Participant, the repayment period shall not
extend beyond twenty nine and one-half years from the date of the loan. An
assignment or pledge of any portion of the Participant's interest in the Plan
and a loan, pledge, or assignment with respect to any insurance contract
purchased under the Plan will be treated as a loan under this paragraph.

         12.03    TERMS OF LOANS.

         (a)      Loans shall be made available to all Associates, Members and
         Beneficiaries on a reasonably equivalent basis.

         (b)      Loans shall not be made available to Highly Compensated
         Employees (as defined in Code Section 414(q)) in an amount greater than
         the amount made available to other Employees.

         (c)      Loans must be adequately secured using not more than fifty
         percent (50%) of the Member's Vested Account balance, and bear a
         reasonable interest rate as determined from time to time by the
         Committee.

         (d)      An Associate or Member loan for less than $1,000 is not
         permitted; provided, however, that if such Associate or Member also
         receives a loan from the Puerto Rico Plan, such minimum amount
         limitation shall not apply.

                                       37

<PAGE>

         (e)      In the event of a default, foreclosure on the note and
         attachment of security will not occur until a distributable event
         occurs under the Plan with respect to the Member.

         (f)      No loans will be made to any Associate or Member who on any
         day during the Company's applicable fiscal year is a beneficial owner
         of more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding stock of the Company.

         (g)      All loans shall be made pursuant to a written Member loan
         program incorporated herein by reference.

         (h)      Loans are available from the following accounts, and will be
         withdrawn from the Members accounts in the following hierarchy:

                  (a)  Member Accounts

                  (b)  Vested Company Accounts

                  (c)  Member Rollover Contribution Accounts

         (i)      Loans will be taken and repaid from and to the Investment
         Funds on a pro rata basis, except in the case the Member is subject to
         Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or has been
         designated as a "Designated Insider," in which case such Member's loan
         will be taken first from such Member's Investment Funds other than the
         Payless Common Stock Fund.

                                       38

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 13

                       LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PLAN

         This Section 13 is intended to conform the Plan to the requirements of
Code Section 415 and limits the contributions that can be made by and for an
individual under the Plan.

         13.01    LIMIT ON CONTRIBUTIONS. Notwithstanding any provision of the
Plan to the contrary:

         (a)      The amounts allocated to a Participant during the Limitation
         Year under the Plan and allocated to the Participant under any other
         defined contribution plan to which the Employer or any other member of
         the Group has contributed shall be proportionately reduced, to the
         extent necessary, so that the Annual Addition does not exceed the least
         of:

                  (1)      $40,000; or

                  (2)      100% of the Participant's remuneration from the
                           Employer or any member of the Group during the
                           Limitation Year; or

                  (3)      such other limits set forth in Code Section 415.

The amount set forth in subparagraph (1) above shall automatically be adjusted
to reflect adjustments made by applicable law. Remuneration for purposes of this
Section means remuneration as defined in Treasury Regulation Section
1.415-2(d)(10) and, effective January 1, 1998, shall also include the deferrals
described in Code Section 415(c)(3)(D)(including effective January 1, 2001,
elective amounts not included in gross income by reason of Code Section
132(f)(4).

         (b)      For purposes of this Section, Limitation Year means the 12
         month period commencing on January 1 and ending on December 31.

         (c)      For purposes of this Section, Annual Additions means the sum
         for the Limitation Year of Employer contributions, Employee
         contributions (determined without regard to any rollover contributions
         as defined in Code Sections 402(a)(5), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8) and
         408(d)(3), without regard to catch-up contributions under Code Section
         414(v) and without regard to Employee contributions to a simplified
         employee pension plan which are excludible from gross income under
         408(k)(6) of the Code) and forfeitures.

         13.02    ADJUSTMENT FOR EXCESSIVE ANNUAL ADDITIONS.

         (a)      If, as a result of the allocation of forfeitures, a reasonable
         error in estimating a Member's Pay or other facts and circumstances to
         which Treasury Regulation Section 1.415-6(b)(6) shall be applicable,
         the "annual additions" under this Plan would cause the

                                       39

<PAGE>

         maximum "annual additions" to be exceeded for any Member, the Committee
         shall (1) return any Member Contributions credited for the "limitation
         year" to the extent that the return would reduce the "excess amount" in
         the Member's Accounts, (2) hold any "excess amount" remaining after the
         return of any member Contributions in a "Section 415 suspense account",
         (3) use the "Section 415 suspense account" in the next "limitation
         year" (and succeeding "limitation years" if necessary) to reduce either
         Company Contributions for that Member if that Member is covered by the
         Plan as of the end of the "limitation year" or if such Member is not
         covered by the Plan at the end of the "limitation year" to reduce
         Company Contributions for all Members in the Plan, before any Company
         Contributions or Member Contributions which would constitute "annual
         additions" are made to the Plan for such "limitation year," (4) reduce
         Company Contributions for such "limitation year" by the amount of the
         "Section 415 suspense account" allocated and reallocated during such
         "limitation year." For purposes of (3) above, the Plan may not
         distribute "excess amounts" to Members or former Members.

         (b)      For purposes of this Section, "EXCESS AMOUNT" for any Member
         for a "limitation year" shall mean the excess, if any, of (1) the
         "annual additions" which would be credited to his account under the
         terms of the Plan without regard to the limitations of Code Section 415
         over (2) the maximum "annual additions" determined pursuant to Section
         13.01(a).

         (c)      For purposes of this Section, "SECTION 415 SUSPENSE ACCOUNT"
         shall mean an unallocated account equal to the sum of "excess amount"
         for all Members in the Plan during the "limitation year." The "Section
         415 suspense account" shall not share in any earnings or losses of the
         Trust Fund.

                                       40

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 14

                           ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN

         14.01    PLAN ADMINISTRATOR. The Company shall be the Plan
Administrator of the Plan for purposes of ERISA and shall be a "named fiduciary"
as determined in ERISA Section 402(a)(2).

         14.02    DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY.

         (a)      Authority to administer the Plan has been delegated to the
Committee and the Administrative Subcommittee, if any, in accordance with
Sections 1.42 (Total and Permanent Disability), 4.01 (Member Contributions),
6.01 (Member Accounts), 6.02 (Company Accounts), 6.05 (Member Statements), 8.02
(Authorized Withdrawals), 13.02 (Adjustment for Excessive Annual Additions),
20.02 (Withdrawal of an Employer) and this Section 14.

         (b)      Authority with respect to the Investment Funds of the Plan has
been delegated to the Trustee in accordance with Sections 7.01 (Administrative
Expenses), 5.01(c) (Investment Funds), 15 (Management of the Trust Fund) and
6.06 (shares of Payless ShoeSource, Inc. (Payless Stock) in the Payless Common
Stock Fund).

         (c)      Authority to direct the investment of the Plan's funds has
been delegated to the Investment Subcommittee, if any, in accordance with
Section 15.03(b), (c) and (d) (Investments and Reinvestments).

         (d)      The Committee shall also have the authority and discretion to
engage an Administrative Delegate who shall perform, without discretionary
authority or control, administrative functions within the frame work of
policies, interpretations, rules practices and procedures made by the Committee
or other Plan Fiduciary. Any action made or taken by the Administrative Delegate
may be appealed by an affected Member to the Committee in accordance with the
claims review procedure in Section 16.05. Any decisions which call for
interpretations of the Plan provisions not previously made by the Committee
shall be made only by the Committee. The Administrative Delegate shall not be
considered a fiduciary with respect to the services it provides.

         14.03    COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEES.

         (a)      The Committee may appoint two subcommittees (an
"Administrative Subcommittee" and an "Investment Subcommittee"), each
Subcommittee to consist of at least three persons, who need not be members of
the Board. The Committee and each Subcommittee, if appointed, shall elect from
its members a Chairman and a Secretary, and may appoint one or more Assistant
Secretaries who may, but need not be, members of the Committee or such
Subcommittee, and may employ such agents, such legal counsel and such clerical,
medical,

                                       41

<PAGE>

accounting, actuarial and other services as it may from time to time deem
advisable to assist in the administration of the Plan. The Committee and each
Subcommittee may, from time to time, appoint agents and delegate to such agents
such duties as it considers appropriate and to the extent that such duties have
been so delegated, the agent shall be exclusively responsible for the proper
discharge of such duties.

         (b)      The Administrative Subcommittee shall have the general
responsibility for the administration of the Plan and the carrying out of its
provisions, and shall have general powers with respect to Plan administration,
including, but not limited to, the powers listed in this Section 14.03. The
Administrative Subcommittee shall have the discretionary authority to interpret
and construe the Plan, the power to establish rules for the administration of
the Plan and the transaction of its business, the power to remedy and resolve
inconsistencies and omissions, and the power to determine all questions which
arise in the administration, interpretation, or application of the Plan,
including but not limited to questions regarding the eligibility, status,
Account value and any rights of any Member, Beneficiary, and any other person
hereunder.

         (c)      The Investment Subcommittee shall have the powers provided for
in Section 15.03(b).

         (d)      The Committee and each Subcommittee shall act by a majority of
its members and the action of such majority expressed by a vote at a meeting, or
in writing without a meeting, shall constitute the action of the Committee or
such Subcommittee. All decisions, determinations, actions or interpretations
with respect to the Plan by the Committee or either Subcommittee and the
individual committee or subcommittee members shall be in the Committee's,
Subcommittee's or individual member's sole discretion. The decision,
determination, action or interpretation of the Committee or either Subcommittee
and the respective individual members of the Committee or Subcommittee in
respect to all matters within the scope of its authority shall be conclusive and
binding on all persons. No member of the Committee or either Subcommittee shall
have any liability to any person for any action or omission except each for his
own individual willful misconduct. If a Subcommittee is not appointed, the
Committee shall exercise such Subcommittee's authority and perform its duties as
described herein.

         (e)      Nothing in this Section 14 or in any other provision of the
Plan shall be deemed to relieve any person who is a fiduciary under the Plan for
purposes of ERISA from any responsibility or liability for any responsibility,
obligation or duty which Part 4 of Title I of ERISA shall impose upon such
person with respect to this Plan.

         14.04    ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS. The Committee shall maintain or cause to
be maintained accounts reflecting the fiscal transactions of the Plan and shall
keep in convenient form such data as may be necessary for the administration of
the Plan. The Committee shall prepare annually a report showing in reasonable
detail the assets and liabilities of the Plan and setting forth a brief account
of the operation of the Plan for the preceding year.

                                       42

<PAGE>

         14.05    NON-DISCRIMINATION. Neither the Committee nor either
Subcommittee shall exercise its discretion in such a way as to result in
discrimination in favor of officers, shareholders or highly compensated
employees (within the meaning of Code Section 414(q)).

                                       43

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 15

                          MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST FUND

         15.01    USE OF THE TRUST FUND. All assets of the Plan shall be held as
a Trust Fund in one or more trusts and shall be used to provide the benefits of
this Plan. No part of the corpus or income shall be used for, or diverted to,
purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of Members and their Beneficiaries
under this Plan and administrative expenses of this Plan.

         15.02    TRUSTEES. The Trust Fund may, at the direction of the Company,
be divided into one or more separate trusts, each of which may have a separate
Trustee appointed from time to time by the Company and subject to removal by the
Company. The Trustee or Trustees of each trust shall have complete authority and
discretion with respect to the investment and reinvestment of the assets of each
trust, subject, however, to (i) the provisions in the Trust Agreements between
the Trustee or Trustees and the Company, and (ii) the provisions of this Plan.
Any or all of such separate trusts shall be referred to collectively from time
to time as the Trust Fund. Any division of the Trust Fund into one or more
separate trusts shall be at the direction of the Company.

         15.03    INVESTMENTS AND REINVESTMENTS. The investment and reinvestment
of the assets of the Trust Fund shall be in accordance with the following:

         (a)      The Company shall have the authority to instruct the Trustee
or Trustees to accept and follow the instructions of any designated investment
manager (within the meaning of ERISA Section 3(38)) with respect to the
investment and reinvestment of the assets constituting a money market or stable
value fund, a fixed income fund, a common stock fund, or any other Investment
Funds the Company may designate.

         (b)      The Investment Subcommittee shall have the powers, with
respect to investment and reinvestment of the assets constituting the Investment
Funds, to promulgate limitations, restrictions, rules or guidelines with respect
to the investment policies and classes of investments in which the assets of the
Investment Funds may be invested or reinvested by the Trustee or Trustees,
including any such investments made pursuant to the instructions of any
investment manager. In the event an investment manager designated pursuant to
Section 15.03(a) resigns or otherwise is unable to act, the Investment
Subcommittee shall have such power and authority as otherwise would be
exercisable by such Investment Manager.

         (c)      In the event that the assets of the Trust Fund shall be
divided into one or more separate trusts pursuant to the authority provided for
in Section 15.02, then the powers of the Investment Subcommittee as provided for
in Section 15.03(b) may be exercised with respect to one or more of such trusts
within the discretion of the Investment Subcommittee.

         (d)      The powers of the Investment Subcommittee as provided in
Section 15.03(b) may be exercised at any time or from time to time by the
Investment Subcommittee within the discretion of the Investment Subcommittee and
shall be pursuant to a written agreement between

                                       44

<PAGE>

the Investment Subcommittee and the Trustee or Trustees or, if an investment
manager has been appointed, between the Investment Subcommittee and the
investment manager.

         (e)      The Trust Agreement between the Company and the Trustee or
Trustees implementing the Plan shall contain provisions effectuating the
provisions of this Section 15 of the Plan.

                                       45

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 16

             CERTAIN RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EMPLOYERS AND MEMBERS

         16.01    DISCLAIMER OF EMPLOYER LIABILITY.

         (a)      No liability shall attach to any Employer with respect to a
benefit or claim hereunder and Members and their Beneficiaries, and all persons
claiming under or through them, shall have recourse only to the Trust Fund for
payment of any benefit hereunder.

         (b)      The rights of the Members, their Beneficiaries and other
persons are hereby expressly limited and shall be only in accordance with the
provisions of the Plan. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to give a
Member any interest in any specific property of the Trust or any interest other
than a right to receive payments pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.

         16.02    EMPLOYER-ASSOCIATE RELATIONSHIP. Neither the establishment of
this Plan nor its communication through a Summary Plan Description (or
otherwise) shall be construed as conferring any legal or other rights upon any
Associate or any other person to continue in employment or as interfering with
or affecting in any manner the right of an Employer to discharge any Associate
or otherwise act with relation to him. Each Employer may take any action
(including discharge) with respect to any Associate or other person and may
treat him without regard to the effect which such action or treatment might have
upon him as a Member of this Plan.

         16.03    BINDING EFFECT. Each Member, by executing an enrollment form,
beneficiary designation and otherwise agreeing to participate in the Plan agrees
for himself, his beneficiary(ies), heirs, successors and assigns to be bound by
all of the provisions of the Plan.

         16.04    CORPORATE ACTION. With respect to any action permitted or
required by the Plan, the Company may act through its appropriate officers.

         16.05    CLAIM AND APPEAL PROCEDURE. A Member or beneficiary may file
with the Committee or its designee at any time a written claim in connection
either with a benefit payable hereunder or otherwise. The Committee or its
designee, normally within 90 days after receipt of a written claim, shall render
a written decision on the claim, unless an additional 90 days is required by
special circumstances which shall be explained to the claimant. If the claim is
denied, either in whole or in part, the decision shall include the reason or
reasons for the denial; a specific reference to the Plan provision or provisions
which are the basis for the denial; a description of any additional material or
information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim; an explanation as
to why the information or material is necessary; and an explanation of the
Plan's entire claim procedure. The claimant may file with the Committee, within
60 days after receiving the written decision from the Committee, a written
notice of request for review of the Committee's decision. The review shall be
made by a committee of up to three individuals (which may include members of the
Committee) appointed by the Company or by the Committee. Said committee

                                       46

<PAGE>

shall render a written decision on the claim containing the specific reasons for
their decision, including a reference to the Plan's provisions, normally within
60 days after receipt of the request for review, unless an additional 60 days is
required by special circumstances which shall be explained to the claimant. If a
Member or beneficiary does not file written notice of a claim with the Committee
or its designee at the times set forth above, he shall have waived any right to
a benefit other than as originally proposed by the Company or the Committee.

                                       47

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 17

                           NON-ALIENATION OF BENEFITS

         17.01    PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO ASSIGNMENT AND LEVY. No benefit
payable under this Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation,
alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, levy or charge, and
any attempt so to anticipate, alienate, sell, transfer, assign, encumber, levy
upon or charge the same shall be void; nor shall any such benefit be in any
manner liable for or subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements
or torts of the person entitled to such benefit, except as specifically provided
herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the creation, assignment, or recognition
of a right to any benefit payable to an alternate payee with respect to a
Qualified Domestic Relations Order shall not be treated as an assignment or
alienation prohibited by this Section. Any other provision of the Plan to the
contrary notwithstanding, if a Qualified Domestic Relations order requires the
distribution of all or part of a Member's benefits under the Plan, the
establishment or acknowledgment of the alternate payee's right to benefits under
the Plan in accordance with the terms of such Qualified Domestic Relations Order
shall in all events be deemed to be consistent with the terms of the Plan.

                  Notwithstanding the above a Member's benefit will be offset
against any amount he or she is ordered or required to pay to the Plan pursuant
to an order or requirement which arises under a judgment of conviction for a
crime involving the Plan, under a civil judgment entered by a court in an action
involving a fiduciary breach, or pursuant to a settlement agreement between the
Participant and the Department of Labor or the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation. Any such offset shall be made pursuant to Section 206(d) of ERISA.

         17.02    ALTERNATE APPLICATION. If a Member or Beneficiary under this
Plan becomes bankrupt or attempts to anticipate, alienate, sell, transfer,
assign, pledge, encumber or charge any benefit under this Plan, except as
specifically provided herein, or if any benefit shall, in the discretion of the
Committee, cease, and in that event the Committee may hold or apply the same or
any part thereof to or for the benefit of such Member or Beneficiary, his
spouse, children or other dependents, or any of them, or in such other manner
and in such proportion as the Committee may deem proper.

                                       48

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 18

                                   AMENDMENTS

         18.01    COMPANY'S RIGHTS. The Company reserves the right at any time
and from time to time in its sole discretion to alter, amend, or modify, in
whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of this Plan, provided, however,
no such alteration, amendment or modification shall be made which shall decrease
the accrued benefit of any Member. Anything in this Plan to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company in its sole discretion may make any modifications
or amendments, additions or deletions in or to this Plan as to benefits or
otherwise and retroactively if necessary, and regardless of the effect thereof
on the rights of any particular Member or Beneficiary, which it deems
appropriate and/or necessary in order to comply with or satisfy any conditions
of any law or regulation relating to the qualification of this Plan and the
trust or trusts created pursuant hereto and to keep this Plan and said trusts
qualified under Code Section 401(a) and to have the trust or trusts declared
exempt from taxation under Code Section 501(a).

         18.02    PROCEDURE TO AMEND. This Plan may be amended by action of the
Company's Board of Directors and evidenced by a written amendment signed by the
Company's Secretary or by any other person so authorized by or pursuant to
authority of the Board of Directors.

         18.03    PROVISION AGAINST DIVERSION. No part of the assets of the
Trust Fund shall, by reason of any modification or amendment or otherwise, be
used for, or diverted to, purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of
Members and their Beneficiaries under this Plan and administrative expenses of
this Plan.

                                       49

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 19

                                   TERMINATION

         19.01    RIGHT TO TERMINATE. The Company reserves the right to
terminate this Plan, in whole or in part, at any time and, if this Plan shall be
terminated either in its entirety or with respect to any Employer included
hereunder, the provisions of Section 19.03 shall apply and the Accounts of
affected Members shall become (or remain) fully vested and nonforfeitable.

         19.02    WITHDRAWAL OF AN EMPLOYER. If an Employer shall cease to be a
participating Employer in this Plan, the Trust Fund and the Accounts of the
Members of the withdrawing Employer and their Beneficiaries shall be revalued as
if such withdrawal date were a Valuation Date. The Committee shall then direct
the Trustee either to distribute the Accounts of the Members of the withdrawing
Employer as of the date of such withdrawal on the same basis as if the Plan had
been terminated pursuant to Section 19.03 or to deposit in a trust established
by the withdrawing Employer pursuant to a plan substantially similar to this
Plan assets equal in value to the assets of the Trust Fund allocable to the
Accounts of the Members of the withdrawing Employer.

         19.03    DISTRIBUTION IN EVENT OF TERMINATION OF TRUST. If this Plan is
terminated at any time including a partial termination as defined in Code
Section 411(d)(3), or if contributions are completely discontinued and the
Company determines that the trust shall be terminated, in whole or in part, the
Trust Fund and all Accounts shall be revalued as if the termination date were a
Valuation Date and the affected Members' Accounts shall be distributed in
accordance with Section 10.

         19.04    ADMINISTRATION IN EVENT OF CONTINUANCE OF TRUST. If this Plan
shall be terminated in whole or in part or contributions completely discontinued
but the Company determines that the trust shall be continued pursuant to the
terms of the Trust Agreement, the trust shall continue to be administered as
though the Plan were otherwise in effect. Upon the subsequent termination of the
trust, in whole or in part, the provisions of Section 19.03 shall apply.

         19.05    MERGER, CONSOLIDATION OR TRANSFER. In the case of any merger
or consolidation with, or transfer of Plan assets or liabilities to, any other
plan, each Member shall be entitled to receive a benefit immediately after the
merger, consolidation or transfer (if the transferee plan then terminated) which
is equal to or greater than the benefit he would have been entitled to receive
immediately before the merger, consolidation or transfer (if the Plan had then
terminated).

                                       50

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 20

                                  CONSTRUCTION

         20.01    APPLICABLE LAW. The provisions of this Plan except as
otherwise governed by ERISA shall be construed, regulated, administered and
enforced according to the laws of the State of Kansas and, whenever possible, to
be in conformity with the applicable requirements of ERISA and the Internal
Revenue Code.

         20.02    GENDER AND NUMBER. Wherever applicable, the masculine pronoun
as used herein shall include the feminine pronoun and the singular pronoun shall
include the plural.

                                       51

<PAGE>

                                   SECTION 21

                             TOP-HEAVY REQUIREMENTS

         21.01    GENERALLY. For any Plan Year in which the Plan is a Top-Heavy
Plan, the provisions of Sections 21.02 and 21.03 shall automatically take effect
in accordance with Code Section 416.

         21.02    MINIMUM ALLOCATIONS.

         (a)      Minimum Employer Allocations and allocations of Plan
         forfeitures for a Member who is not a Key Employee shall be required
         under the Plan for the Plan Year as set forth in Section 21.02 (b)
         and(c).

         (b)      The amount of the minimum allocation shall be the lesser of
         the following, percentages of Pay: (i) four percent (4%) or, (ii) the
         highest percentage at which such allocations are made under the Plan
         for the Plan Year on behalf of a Key Employee. For purposes of this
         paragraph (b), all defined contribution plans required to be included
         in an Aggregation Group shall be treated as one plan. This paragraph
         (b) shall not apply if the Plan is required to be included in an
         Aggregation Group and the Plan enables a defined benefit plan required
         to be included in the Aggregation Group to meet the requirement of Code
         Sections 401(a)(4) or 410. For purposes of this paragraph (b), the
         calculation of the percentage at which allocations are made for a Key
         Employee shall be based only on his Pay not in excess of $200,000, such
         amount to be adjusted periodically for increases in the cost of living
         in accordance with Code Section 401(a)(17). The minimum allocation
         described in this paragraph (b) shall be in addition to (and shall not
         be reduced by) any Member Contributions under Section 4 (whether
         Before-Tax or After-Tax) and any allocation of forfeitures, if any, to
         which a Member may be entitled.

         (c)      For purposes of this Section 21.02, the term "Member" shall be
         deemed to refer to all Members who have not separated from service at
         the end of the Plan Year including, without limitation, individuals who
         declined to make contributions to the Plan.

         21.03    PARTICIPANTS UNDER DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS. If any Member other
than a Key Employee is also a participant under a defined benefit plan of an
Employer which is a Top-Heavy Plan, then Section 21.03(a) shall not apply and
the required minimum annual contribution for such Member under this Plan shall
be 7 percent (7 %) of such Member's Pay. Such contribution shall be made without
regard to the amount of contribution, if any, made to the Plan on behalf of
Employees.

         21.04    DETERMINATION OF TOP HEAVINESS.

         (a)      The determination of whether a plan is Top-Heavy shall be made
         in accordance with paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Section 21.04.

                                       52

<PAGE>

         (b)      If the Plan is not required to be included in an Aggregated
         Group with other plans, then it shall be Top-Heavy only if when
         considered by itself, it is a Top-Heavy Plan and it is not included in
         a permissive Aggregation Group that is not a Top-Heavy Group.

         (c)      If the Plan is required to be included in an Aggregation Group
         with other plans, it shall be Top-Heavy only if the Aggregation Group,
         including any permissively aggregated plans, is Top-Heavy.

         (d)      If a plan is not a Top-Heavy Plan and is not required to be
         included in an Aggregation Group, then it shall not be Top-Heavy even
         if it is permissively aggregated in an Aggregation Group which is a
         Top-Heavy Group.

         21.05    CALCULATION OF TOP-HEAVY RATIOS. A plan shall be Top-Heavy and
an Aggregation Group shall be a Top-Heavy Group with respect to any Plan Year as
of the Determination Date if the sum as of the Determination Date of the
Cumulative Accrued Benefits and the Cumulative Accounts of Employees who are Key
Employees for the Plan Year exceeds 60 percent (60%) of a similar sum determined
for all Employees, excluding former Key Employees.

         21.06    CUMULATIVE ACCOUNTS AND CUMULATIVE ACCRUED BENEFITS.

         (a)      The Cumulative Accounts and Cumulative Accrued Benefits for
         any Employee shall be determined in accordance with paragraphs (b)
         through (e) of this Section 21.06.

         (b)      Cumulative Account shall mean the sum of the amount of an
         Employee's accounts under a defined contribution plan (for an
         unaggregated plan) or under all defined contribution plans included in
         an Aggregation Group (for aggregated plans) determined as of the most
         recent plan Valuation Date within a 12-month period ending on the
         Determination Date, increased by any allocations due after such
         Valuation Date and before the Determination Date.

         (c)      Cumulative Accrued Benefit means the sum of the present value
         of an Employee's accrued benefits under a defined benefit plan (for an
         unaggregated plan) or under all defined benefit plans included in an
         Aggregation Group (for aggregated plans), determined under the
         actuarial assumptions set forth in such plan or plans, as of the most
         recent plan Valuation Date within a 12-month period ending on the
         Determination Date as if the Employee voluntarily terminated service as
         of such Valuation Date.

         (d)      Accounts and benefits shall be calculated to include all
         amounts attributable to both Matching Allocations and Employee
         contributions but excluding amounts attributable to voluntary
         deductible Employee contributions.

         (e)      Accounts and benefits shall be increased by the aggregate
         distributions during the one-year period ending on the Determination
         Date made with respect to an Employee

                                       53

<PAGE>

         under the plan or plans as the case may be or under a terminated plan
         which, if it had not been terminated, would have been required to be
         included in the Aggregation Group. In the case of a distribution made
         for a reason other than separation from service, death, or disability,
         this provision shall be applied by substituting "five-year period" for
         "one-year period."

         (f)      Rollovers and direct plan-to-plan transfers shall be handled
         as follows:

                  (i)      If the transfer is initiated by the Employee and made
                  from a plan maintained by one Employer to a plan maintained by
                  another Employer, the transferring plan continues to count the
                  amount transferred under the rules for counting distributions.
                  The receiving plan does not count the amount if accepted after
                  December 31, 1983, but does count it if accepted prior to
                  December 31, 1983.

                  (ii)     If the transfer is not initiated by the Employee or
                  is made between plans maintained by the Employers, the
                  transferring plan shall no longer count the amount transferred
                  and the receiving plan shall count the amount transferred.

                  (iii)    For purposes of this subsection (f), all Employers
                  aggregated under the rules of Code Sections 414(b), (c) and
                  (m) shall be considered a single employer.

         (g)      The accured benefits and accounts of any individual who has
         not performed services for the Employer during the one-year period
         ending on the Determination Date shall not be taken into account.

         21.07    OTHER DEFINITIONS.

         (a)      Solely for purposes of this Section 21, the definitions in
         paragraphs (b) through (i) of this Section 21.07 shall apply, to be
         interpreted in accordance with the provisions of Code Section 416 and
         the regulations thereunder.

         (b)      Aggregation Group means a plan or group of plans which
         included all plans maintained by the Employer in which a Key Employee
         is a participant or which enables any plan in which a Key Employee is a
         participant to meet the requirements of Code Section 401(a)(4) or Code
         Section 410, as well as all other plans selected by the Company for
         permissive aggregation, the inclusion of which would not prevent the
         group of plans from continuing to meet the requirements of such Code
         sections.

         (c)      Determination Date means, with respect to any Plan Year, the
         last day of the preceding Plan Year.

         (d)      Employee means any person employed by an Employer and shall
         also include any Beneficiary of such persons, provided that the
         requirements of Sections 21.02 and 21.03 shall not apply to any person
         included in a unit of Employees covered by an agreement

                                       54
<PAGE>

         which the Secretary of Labor finds to be a collective bargaining
         agreement between Employee representatives and one or more Employers if
         there is evidence that retirement benefits were the subject of good
         faith bargaining between such Employee representatives and such
         Employer or Employers.

         (e)      Employer means any corporation which is a member of a
         controlled group of corporations (as defined in Code Section 414(b))
         which includes the Company or any trades or businesses (whether or not
         incorporated) which are under common control (as defined in Code
         Section 414(c)) with the Company, or a member of an affiliated service
         group (as defined in Code Section 414(m)) which includes the Company,

         (f)      Key Employee means any Employee or former Employee (including
         any deceased Employee) who is, at any time during the Plan Year which
         includes the Determination Date, any one or more of the following: (1)
         an officer of an Employer who has annual Pay of more $130,000 (as
         adjusted under Code Section 416(i)(1))(2) any person owning (or
         considered as owning within the meaning of the Code Section 318) more
         than five percent of the outstanding stock of an Employer or stock
         possessing more than five percent of the total combined voting power of
         such stock; (3) a person who would be described in subsection (3) above
         if "one percent" were substituted for "five percent" each place it
         appears in subsection (3) above, and who has annual Pay of more than
         $150,000 (for purposes of determining ownership under this subsection,
         Code Section 318(a)(2)(C) shall be applied by substituting "five
         percent" for "50 percent" and the rules of subsections (b), (c) and (m)
         of Code Section 414 shall not apply).

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this amended and
         restated Plan to be executed by a duly authorized officer effective
         January 1, 2002.

                                                 PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.

                                                 By: /s/ JAY A. LENTZ
                                                     _________________________

                                       55<PAGE>

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.12

                           CHANGE OF CONTROL AGREEMENT

                  AGREEMENT, dated as of the ____ day of ______, 200_ (this
"Agreement"), by and between Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), and __________ (the "Executive").

                  WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"),
has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its
stockholders to assure that the Company will have the continued dedication of
the Executive, notwithstanding the possibility, threat or occurrence of a Change
of Control (as defined herein). The Board believes it is imperative to diminish
the inevitable distraction of the Executive by virtue of the personal
uncertainties and risks created by a pending or threatened Change of Control and
to encourage the Executive's full attention and dedication to the current
Company and in the event of any threatened or pending Change of Control, and to
provide the Executive with compensation and benefits arrangements upon a Change
of Control that ensure that the compensation and benefits expectations of the
Executive will be satisfied and that are competitive with those of other
corporations. Therefore, in order to accomplish these objectives, the Board has
caused the Company to enter into this Agreement.

                  NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

                  SECTION 1.        CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. (a) "Effective Date"
means the first date during the Change of Control Period (as defined herein) on
which a Change of Control occurs. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, if a Change of Control occurs and if the Executive's employment
with the Company is terminated prior to the date on which the Change of Control
occurs, and if it is reasonably demonstrated by the Executive that such
termination of employment (1) was at the request of a third party that has taken
steps reasonably calculated to effect a Change of Control or (2) otherwise arose
in connection with or anticipation of a Change of Control, then "Effective Date"
means the date immediately prior to the date of such termination of employment.
Further, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if a
Potential Change of Control occurs and if the Executive's employment with the
Company is terminated as provided in Section 5(e), then "Effective Date" means
the date immediately prior to the date of such termination of employment.

                  (b)      "Change of Control Period" means the period
commencing on the date hereof and ending on the third anniversary of the date
hereof; provided, however, that, commencing on the date one year after the date
hereof, and on each annual anniversary of such date (such date and each annual
anniversary thereof, the "Renewal Date"), unless previously terminated, the
Change of Control Period shall be automatically extended so as to terminate
three years from such Renewal Date, unless, at least 60 days prior to the
Renewal Date, the Company shall give notice to the Executive that the Change of
Control Period shall not be so extended.

                  (c)      "affiliated company" means any company controlled by,
controlling or under common control with the Company.

                  (d)      "Change of Control" means:

<PAGE>

                  (1)      The acquisition by any individual, entity or group
(within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) (a "Person") of beneficial
ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act)
of 20% or more of either (A) the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the
Company (the "Outstanding Company Common Stock") or (B) the combined voting
power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors (the "Outstanding Company Voting
Securities"); provided, however, that, for purposes of this Section 1(d), none
of the following shall constitute a Change of Control: (i) any acquisition
directly from the Company, (ii) any acquisition by the Company, (iii) any
acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or
maintained by the Company or any affiliated company, (iv) any acquisition by any
corporation pursuant to a transaction that complies with Sections 1(d)(3)(A),
1(d)(3)(B) and 1(d)(3)(C) or (v) any acquisition by the Company which, by
reducing the number of shares of Outstanding Company Common Stock or Outstanding
Company Voting Securities, increases the proportionate number of shares of
Outstanding Company Common Stock or Outstanding Company Voting Securities
beneficially owned by any Person to 20% or more of the Outstanding Company
Common Stock or Outstanding Company Voting Securities; provided, however, that,
if such Person shall thereafter become the beneficial owner of any additional
shares of Outstanding Company Common Stock or Outstanding Company Voting
Securities and beneficially owns 20% or more of either the Outstanding Company
Common Sock or the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, then such additional
acquisition shall constitute a Change of Control; or

                  (2)      Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute
the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any reason to constitute at least a
majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a
director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for
election by the Company's stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a
majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be
considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but
excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of
office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with
respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened
solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the
Board; or

                  (3)      Consummation of a reorganization, merger,
consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company (a "Business Combination"), in each case, unless,
following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially all of the
individuals and entities that were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the
Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities
immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or
indirectly, more than 50%, respectively, of the then-outstanding shares of
common stock and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting
securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case
may be, of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination (including,
without limitation, a corporation that, as a result of such transaction, owns
the Company or all or substantially all of the Company's assets either directly
or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as
their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination of the
Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities,
as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from

                                       2

<PAGE>

such Business Combination or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the
Company or such corporation resulting from such Business Combination)
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the
then-outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such
Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting
securities of such corporation, except to the extent that such ownership existed
prior to the Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of
the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business
Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of
the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for such Business
Combination; or

                  (4)      Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a
complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

                  (e)      "Potential Change of Control" means:

                  (1)      At least two directors of a particular class of
directors, as of the date hereof, are replaced for any reason by directors who
are not members of the Incumbent Board at the time of such replacement;
provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the
date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Company's
stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors
then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such
individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this
purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a
result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election
or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or
consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or

                  (2)      The Board adopts a resolution to the effect that, for
purposes of this Agreement, a Potential Change of Control has occurred.

                  SECTION 2.        EMPLOYMENT PERIOD. The Company hereby agrees
to continue the Executive in its employ, and the Executive hereby agrees to
remain in the employ of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, for the period commencing on the Effective Date and ending on the
third anniversary of the Effective Date (the "Employment Period").

                  SECTION 3.        TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT. (a) POSITION AND
DUTIES. (1) During the Employment Period, (A) the Executive's position
(including status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority,
duties and responsibilities shall be at least commensurate in all material
respects with the most significant of those held, exercised and assigned at any
time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date and (B)
the Executive's services shall be performed at the office where the Executive
was employed immediately preceding the Effective Date or at any other location
less than 35 miles from such office.

                  (2)      During the Employment Period, and excluding any
periods of vacation and sick leave to which the Executive is entitled, the
Executive agrees to devote reasonable attention and time during normal business
hours to the business and affairs of the Company and, to the extent necessary to
discharge the responsibilities assigned to the Executive hereunder, to use the

                                       3

<PAGE>

Executive's reasonable best efforts to perform faithfully and efficiently such
responsibilities. During the Employment Period, it shall not be a violation of
this Agreement for the Executive to (A) serve on corporate, civic or charitable
boards or committees, (B) deliver lectures, fulfill speaking engagements or
teach at educational institutions and (C) manage personal investments, so long
as such activities do not significantly interfere with the performance of the
Executive's responsibilities as an employee of the Company in accordance with
this Agreement. It is expressly understood and agreed that, to the extent that
any such activities have been conducted by the Executive prior to the Effective
Date, the continued conduct of such activities (or the conduct of activities
similar in nature and scope thereto) subsequent to the Effective Date shall not
thereafter be deemed to interfere with the performance of the Executive's
responsibilities to the Company.

                  (b)      COMPENSATION. (1) BASE SALARY. During the Employment
Period, the Executive shall receive an annual base salary (the "Annual Base
Salary"), which Annual Base Salary shall be paid at a monthly rate at least
equal to 12 times the highest monthly base salary paid or payable, including any
base salary that has been earned but deferred, to the Executive by the Company
and the affiliated companies in respect of the 12-month period immediately
preceding the month in which the Effective Date occurs. During the Employment
Period, the Annual Base Salary shall be reviewed at least annually, beginning no
more than 12 months after the last salary increase awarded to the Executive
prior to the Effective Date. Any increase in the Annual Base Salary shall not
serve to limit or reduce any other obligation to the Executive under this
Agreement. The Annual Base Salary shall not be reduced after any such increase
and the term "Annual Base Salary" shall refer to the Annual Base Salary as so
increased.

                  (2)      ANNUAL BONUS. In addition to the Annual Base Salary,
the Executive shall be awarded, for each fiscal year ending during the
Employment Period, an annual bonus (the "Annual Bonus") in cash at least equal
to the Executive's highest bonus under the Company's annual and long-term
incentive plans, or any comparable bonus under any predecessor or successor
plan, for the last three full fiscal years prior to the Effective Date
(annualized, in the event that the Executive was not employed by the Company for
the whole of such fiscal year) (the "Recent Annual Bonus"). Each such Annual
Bonus shall be paid no later than the end of the third month of the fiscal year
next following the fiscal year for which the Annual Bonus is awarded, unless the
Executive shall elect to defer the receipt of such Annual Bonus.

                  (3)      INCENTIVE, SAVINGS AND RETIREMENT PLANS. During the
Employment Period, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all
incentive, savings and retirement plans, practices, policies, and programs
applicable generally to other peer executives of the Company and the affiliated
companies, but in no event shall such plans, practices, policies and programs
provide the Executive with incentive opportunities (measured with respect to
both regular and special incentive opportunities, to the extent, if any, that
such distinction is applicable), savings opportunities and retirement benefit
opportunities, in each case, less favorable, in the aggregate, than the most
favorable of those provided by the Company and the affiliated companies for the
Executive under such plans, practices, policies and programs as in effect at any
time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date or, if
more favorable to the Executive, those provided generally at any time after the
Effective Date to other peer executives of the Company and the affiliated
companies.

                                       4

<PAGE>

                  (4)      WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS. During the Employment Period,
the Executive and/or the Executive's family, as the case may be, shall be
eligible for participation in and shall receive all benefits under welfare
benefit plans, practices, policies and programs provided by the Company and the
affiliated companies (including, without limitation, medical, prescription,
dental, disability, employee life, group life, accidental death and travel
accident insurance plans and programs) to the extent applicable generally to
other peer executives of the Company and the affiliated companies, but in no
event shall such plans, practices, policies and programs provide the Executive
with benefits that are less favorable, in the aggregate, than the most favorable
of such plans, practices, policies and programs in effect for the Executive at
any time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date or,
if more favorable to the Executive, those provided generally at any time after
the Effective Date to other peer executives of the Company and the affiliated
companies.

                  (5)      EXPENSES. During the Employment Period, the Executive
shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all reasonable expenses
incurred by the Executive in accordance with the most favorable policies,
practices and procedures of the Company and the affiliated companies in effect
for the Executive at any time during the 120-day period immediately preceding
the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in effect
generally at any time thereafter with respect to other peer executives of the
Company and the affiliated companies.

                  (6)      FRINGE BENEFITS. During the Employment Period, the
Executive shall be entitled to fringe benefits, including, without limitation,
tax and financial planning services, payment of club dues, and, if applicable,
use of an automobile and payment of related expenses, in accordance with the
most favorable plans, practices, programs and policies of the Company and the
affiliated companies in effect for the Executive at any time during the 120-day
period immediately preceding the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the
Executive, as in effect generally at any time thereafter with respect to other
peer executives of the Company and the affiliated companies.

                  (7)      OFFICE AND SUPPORT STAFF. During the Employment
Period, the Executive shall be entitled to an office or offices of a size and
with furnishings and other appointments, and to exclusive personal secretarial
and other assistance, at least equal to the most favorable of the foregoing
provided to the Executive by the Company and the affiliated companies at any
time during the 120-day period immediately preceding the Effective Date or, if
more favorable to the Executive, as provided generally at any time thereafter
with respect to other peer executives of the Company and the affiliated
companies.

                  (8)      VACATION. During the Employment Period, the Executive
shall be entitled to paid vacation in accordance with the most favorable plans,
policies, programs and practices of the Company and the affiliated companies as
in effect for the Executive at any time during the 120-day period immediately
preceding the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in
effect generally at any time thereafter with respect to other peer executives of
the Company and the affiliated companies.

                  SECTION 4.        TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. (a) DEATH OR
DISABILITY. The Executive's employment shall terminate automatically if the
Executive dies during the

                                       5

<PAGE>

Employment Period. If the Company determines in good faith that the Disability
(as defined herein) of the Executive has occurred during the Employment Period
(pursuant to the definition of "Disability"), it may give to the Executive
written notice in accordance with Section 11(b) of its intention to terminate
the Executive's employment. In such event, the Executive's employment with the
Company shall terminate effective on the 30th day after receipt of such notice
by the Executive (the "Disability Effective Date"), provided that, within the 30
days after such receipt, the Executive shall not have returned to full-time
performance of the Executive's duties. "Disability" means the absence of the
Executive from the Executive's duties with the Company on a full-time basis for
180 consecutive business days as a result of incapacity due to mental or
physical illness that is determined to be total and permanent by a physician
selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to the Executive or the
Executive's legal representative.

                  (b)      CAUSE. The Company may terminate the Executive's
employment during the Employment Period for Cause. "Cause" means:

                  (1)      the willful and continued failure of the Executive to
         perform substantially the Executive's duties with the Company or any
         affiliated company (other than any such failure resulting from
         incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after a written demand
         for substantial performance is delivered to the Executive by the Board
         or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company that specifically
         identifies the manner in which the Board or the Chief Executive Officer
         of the Company believes that the Executive has not substantially
         performed the Executive's duties, or

                  (2)      the willful engaging by the Executive in illegal
         conduct or gross misconduct that is materially and demonstrably
         injurious to the Company.

For purposes of this Section 4(b), no act, or failure to act, on the part of the
Executive shall be considered "willful" unless it is done, or omitted to be
done, by the Executive in bad faith or without reasonable belief that the
Executive's action or omission was in the best interests of the Company. Any
act, or failure to act, based upon authority given pursuant to a resolution duly
adopted by the Board or upon the instructions of the Chief Executive Officer of
the Company or a senior officer of the Company or based upon the advice of
counsel for the Company shall be conclusively presumed to be done, or omitted to
be done, by the Executive in good faith and in the best interests of the
Company. The cessation of employment of the Executive shall not be deemed to be
for Cause unless and until there shall have been delivered to the Executive a
copy of a resolution duly adopted by the affirmative vote of not less than
three-quarters of the entire membership of the Board at a meeting of the Board
called and held for such purpose (after reasonable notice is provided to the
Executive and the Executive is given an opportunity, together with counsel for
the Executive, to be heard before the Board), finding that, in the good faith
opinion of the Board, the Executive is guilty of the conduct described in
Section 4(b)(1) or 4(b)(2), and specifying the particulars thereof in detail.

                  (C)      GOOD REASON. The Executive's employment may be
terminated by the Executive for Good Reason. "Good Reason" means:

                                       6

<PAGE>

                  (1)      the assignment to the Executive of any duties
         inconsistent in any respect with the Executive's position (including
         status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties
         or responsibilities as contemplated by Section 3(a), or any other
         action by the Company that results in a diminution in such position,
         authority, duties or responsibilities, excluding for this purpose an
         isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith
         and that is remedied by the Company promptly after receipt of notice
         thereof given by the Executive;

                  (2)      any failure by the Company to comply with any of the
         provisions of Section 3(b), other than an isolated, insubstantial and
         inadvertent failure not occurring in bad faith and that is remedied by
         the Company promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the
         Executive;

                  (3)      the Company's requiring the Executive to be based at
         any office or location other than as provided in Section 3(a)(1)(B) or
         the Company's requiring the Executive to travel on Company business to
         a substantially greater extent than required immediately prior to the
         Effective Date;

                  (4)      any purported termination by the Company of the
         Executive's employment otherwise than as expressly permitted by this
         Agreement; or

                  (5)      any failure by the Company to comply with and satisfy
         Section 10(c).

                  For purposes of this Section 4(c), any good faith
determination of Good Reason made by the Executive shall be conclusive. Anything
in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, a termination by the
Executive for any reason during the 30-day period immediately following the
first anniversary of a Change of Control shall be deemed to be a termination for
Good Reason for all purposes of this Agreement.

                  (d)      NOTICE OF TERMINATION. Any termination by the Company
for Cause, or by the Executive for Good Reason, shall be communicated by Notice
of Termination to the other party hereto given in accordance with Section 11(b).
"Notice of Termination" means a written notice that (1) indicates the specific
termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (2) to the extent
applicable, sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed
to provide a basis for termination of the Executive's employment under the
provision so indicated, and (3) if the Date of Termination (as defined herein)
is other than the date of receipt of such notice, specifies the Date of
Termination (which Date of Termination shall be not more than 30 days after the
giving of such notice). The failure by the Executive or the Company to set forth
in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance that contributes to a
showing of Good Reason or Cause shall not waive any right of the Executive or
the Company, respectively, hereunder or preclude the Executive or the Company,
respectively, from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the
Executive's or the Company's respective rights hereunder.

                  (e)      DATE OF TERMINATION. "Date of Termination" means (1)
if the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company for Cause, or by the
Executive for Good Reason, the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or
any later date specified in the Notice of Termination, as the case may be, (2)
if the Executive's employment is terminated by the

                                       7

<PAGE>

Company other than for Cause or Disability, the Date of Termination shall be the
date on which the Company notifies the Executive of such termination, and (3) if
the Executive's employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability, the
Date of Termination shall be the date of death of the Executive or the
Disability Effective Date, as the case may be.

                  SECTION 5.        OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY UPON TERMINATION.
(a) GOOD REASON; OTHER THAN FOR CAUSE, DEATH OR DISABILITY. If, during the
Employment Period, the Company terminates the Executive's employment other than
for Cause or Disability or the Executive terminates employment for Good Reason:

                  (1)      the Company shall pay to the Executive, in a lump sum
         in cash within 30 days after the Date of Termination, the aggregate of
         the following amounts:

                           (A)      the sum of (i) the Executive's Annual Base
                  Salary through the Date of Termination to the extent not
                  theretofore paid, (ii) the product of (x) the higher of (I)
                  the Recent Annual Bonus and (II) the Annual Bonus paid or
                  payable, including any bonus or portion thereof that has been
                  earned but deferred (and annualized for any fiscal year
                  consisting of less than 12 full months or during which the
                  Executive was employed for less than 12 full months), for the
                  most recently completed fiscal year during the Employment
                  Period, if any (such higher amount, the "Highest Annual
                  Bonus") and (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the
                  number of days in the current fiscal year through the Date of
                  Termination and the denominator of which is 365, and (iii) any
                  compensation previously deferred by the Executive (together
                  with any accrued interest or earnings thereon) and any accrued
                  vacation pay, in each case, to the extent not theretofore paid
                  (the sum of the amounts described in subclauses (i), (ii) and
                  (iii), the "Accrued Obligations"); and

                           (B)      the amount equal to the product of (i) three
                  and (ii) the sum of (x) the Executive's Annual Base Salary and
                  (y) the Highest Annual Bonus; and

                           (C)      in lieu of the receipt of shares of common
                  stock of the Company ("Common Stock") issuable upon the
                  exercise of outstanding options (other than stock options
                  qualifying as incentive stock options ("ISOs") under Section
                  422A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
                  "Code") which ISOs were granted on or prior to April 29, 1996)
                  ("Options"), stock appreciation rights ("SARs") and
                  performance units ( "Units"), if any (the Options, SARs and
                  Units shall be referred to herein collectively as the
                  "Awards"), granted to the Executive under the Company's 1996
                  Stock Incentive Plan or any successor or substitute plans
                  thereto, an amount equal to the product of (i) the excess of
                  (x) in the case of an ISO granted after April 29, 1996, the
                  closing price of Common Stock as reported on the New York
                  Stock Exchange on the Date of Termination or the last full
                  trading day immediately prior to the Date of Termination (or,
                  if not listed on such exchange, on a nationally recognized
                  exchange or quotation system on which trading value in the
                  Common Stock is highest) (the "Closing Price") and, in the
                  case of all other Awards, the higher of the Closing Price and
                  the highest per share price for Common Stock actually paid in
                  connection with any Change of

                                       8

<PAGE>

                  Control, over (y) the per share exercise price (if any) of
                  each Award, and (2) the number of shares of Common Stock
                  covered by each such Award, whether or not such Award is
                  exercisable on the Date of Termination; and

                  (2)      for three years after the Executive's Date of
         Termination, or such longer period as may be provided by the terms of
         the appropriate plan, program, practice or policy, the Company shall
         continue benefits to the Executive and/or the Executive's family at
         least equal to those that would have been provided to them in
         accordance with the plans, programs, practices and policies described
         in Section 3(b)(4) if the Executive's employment had not been
         terminated or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in effect
         generally at any time thereafter with respect to other peer executives
         of the Company and the affiliated companies and their families,
         provided, however, that, if the Executive becomes re-employed with
         another employer and is eligible to receive medical or other welfare
         benefits under another employer provided plan, the medical and other
         welfare benefits described herein shall be secondary to those provided
         under such other plan during such applicable period of eligibility. If
         the Executive has attained age 50 on the Date of Termination and if,
         with five additional years of age and service beyond the Executive's
         age and years of service as of the Date of Termination, the Executive
         would have been entitled to receive any other benefits under the
         Company's post-retirement programs as in effect immediately prior to
         the Effective Date, then the Executive shall be entitled to such
         benefits as if the Executive had attained those five additional years
         of age and been employed by the Company for those five additional years
         of service, as of the Date of Termination, and such benefits shall
         commence immediately and be determined and provided under the terms of
         such plans as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date,
         without regard to any amendments subsequent to the Effective Date that
         adversely affect the rights of participants thereunder; and

                  (3)      if the Executive has attained age 50 but has not
         attained age 55 on the Date of Termination, then for purposes of
         determining benefits under Section 3.2(c) of the Company's
         Supplementary Retirement Plan or any successor plan, as in effect
         immediately prior to the Effective Date (the "Supplemental Plan"), the
         Executive shall be deemed to be entitled to the benefits under Section
         3.2(c) of the Supplemental Plan if, during the five-year period
         following the Effective Date, the Company terminates the Executive's
         employment other than for Cause or the Executive terminates his
         employment for Good Reason (it being expressly agreed that,
         notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the rights
         under this Section 5(a)(3) shall survive for the five-year period
         following the Effective Date); and

                  (4)      the Company shall, at its sole expense as incurred,
         and subject to a maximum limit equal to three (3) times the Executive's
         monthly compensation, provide the Executive with outplacement services
         the scope and provider of which shall be selected by the Executive in
         the Executive's sole discretion; and

                  (5)      to the extent not theretofore paid or provided, the
         Company shall timely pay or provide to the Executive any other amounts
         or benefits required to be paid or provided or that the Executive is
         eligible to receive under any plan, program, policy or

                                       9

<PAGE>

         practice or contract or agreement of the Company and the affiliated
         companies (such other amounts and benefits, the "Other Benefits").

                  (b)      DEATH. If the Executive's employment is terminated by
reason of the Executive's death during the Employment Period, this Agreement
shall terminate without further obligations to the Executive's legal
representatives under this Agreement, other than for payment of Accrued
Obligations and the timely payment or provision of the Other Benefits. The
Accrued Obligations shall be paid to the Executive's estate or beneficiary, as
applicable, in a lump sum in cash within 30 days of the Date of Termination.
With respect to the provision of the Other Benefits, the term "Other Benefits"
as utilized in this Section 5(b) shall include, without limitation, and the
Executive's estate and/or beneficiaries shall be entitled to receive, benefits
at least equal to the most favorable benefits provided by the Company and the
affiliated companies to the estates and beneficiaries of peer executives of the
Company and the affiliated companies under such plans, programs, practices and
policies relating to death benefits, if any, as in effect with respect to other
peer executives and their beneficiaries at any time during the 120-day period
immediately preceding the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the
Executive's estate and/or the Executive's beneficiaries, as in effect on the
date of the Executive's death with respect to other peer executives of the
Company and the affiliated companies and their beneficiaries.

                  (c)      DISABILITY. If the Executive's employment is
terminated by reason of the Executive's Disability during the Employment Period,
this Agreement shall terminate without further obligations to the Executive,
other than for payment of Accrued Obligations and the timely payment or
provision of the Other Benefits. The Accrued Obligations shall be paid to the
Executive in a lump sum in cash within 30 days of the Date of Termination. With
respect to the provision of the Other Benefits, the term "Other Benefits" as
utilized in this Section 5(c) shall include, and the Executive shall be entitled
after the Disability Effective Date to receive, disability and other benefits at
least equal to the most favorable of those generally provided by the Company and
the affiliated companies to disabled executives and/or their families in
accordance with such plans, programs, practices and policies relating to
disability, if any, as in effect generally with respect to other peer executives
and their families at any time during the 120-day period immediately preceding
the Effective Date or, if more favorable to the Executive and/or the Executive's
family, as in effect at any time thereafter generally with respect to other peer
executives of the Company and the affiliated companies and their families.

                  (d)      CAUSE; OTHER THAN FOR GOOD REASON. If the Executive's
employment is terminated for Cause during the Employment Period, this Agreement
shall terminate without further obligations to the Executive other than the
obligation to pay to the Executive (1) the Executive's Annual Base Salary
through the Date of Termination, (2) the amount of any compensation previously
deferred by the Executive, and (3) the Other Benefits, in each case, to the
extent theretofore unpaid. If the Executive voluntarily terminates employment
during the Employment Period, excluding a termination for Good Reason, this
Agreement shall terminate without further obligations to the Executive, other
than for the Accrued Obligations and the timely payment or provision of the
Other Benefits. In such case, all the Accrued Obligations shall be paid to the
Executive in a lump sum in cash within 30 days of the Date of Termination.

                  (e)      OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY AND THE EXECUTIVE UPON A
POTENTIAL CHANGE OF CONTROL. If, during the Change of Control Period, a
Potential Change of Control

                                       10

<PAGE>

occurs, the Executive hereby agrees to remain in the employ of the Company, on
the same basis and terms and conditions as the Executive is employed by the
Company immediately prior to the Potential Change of Control, for the 12-month
period following such Potential Change of Control. If the Executive's employment
is terminated by the Company other than for Cause, death or Disability, or the
Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, during the 12-month period
following the occurrence of a Potential Change of Control, without regard to
whether a Change of Control has actually occurred or is likely to occur, the
Executive's employment shall be deemed to have been terminated by the Company in
anticipation of a Change of Control, and the Executive shall be entitled to
receive the payments and benefits provided in Section 5(a) hereof.

                  SECTION 6.        NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS. Nothing in this
Agreement shall prevent or limit the Executive's continuing or future
participation in any plan, program, policy or practice provided by the Company
or the affiliated companies and for which the Executive may qualify, nor,
subject to Section 11(f), shall anything herein limit or otherwise affect such
rights as the Executive may have under any contract or agreement with the
Company or the affiliated companies. Amounts that are vested benefits or that
the Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice
or program of or any contract or agreement with the Company or the affiliated
companies at or subsequent to the Date of Termination shall be payable in
accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement,
except as explicitly modified by this Agreement.

                  SECTION 7.        FULL SETTLEMENT. The Company's obligation to
make the payments provided for in this Agreement and otherwise to perform its
obligations hereunder shall not be affected by any set-off, counterclaim,
recoupment, defense, or other claim, right or action that the Company may have
against the Executive or others. In no event shall the Executive be obligated to
seek other employment or take any other action by way of mitigation of the
amounts payable to the Executive under any of the provisions of this Agreement,
and such amounts shall not be reduced whether or not the Executive obtains other
employment. The Company agrees to pay as incurred, to the full extent permitted
by law, all legal fees and expenses that the Executive may reasonably incur as a
result of any contest (regardless of the outcome thereof) by the Company, the
Executive or others of the validity or enforceability of, or liability under,
any provision of this Agreement or any guarantee of performance thereof
(including as a result of any contest by the Executive about the amount of any
payment pursuant to this Agreement), plus, in each case, interest on any delayed
payment at the applicable federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2)(A) of
the Code.

                  SECTION 8.        CERTAIN ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS BY THE COMPANY.

                  (a)      Anything in this Agreement to the contrary
notwithstanding and except as set forth below, in the event it shall be
determined that any payment or distribution by the Company or the affiliated
companies to or for the benefit of the Executive (whether paid or payable or
distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or
otherwise but determined without regard to any additional payments required
under this Section 8) (the "Payment") would be subject to the excise tax imposed
by Section 4999 of the Code, or any interest or penalties are incurred by the
Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any
such interest and penalties, collectively, the "Excise Tax"), then the

                                       11

<PAGE>

Executive shall be entitled to receive an additional payment (the "Gross-Up
Payment") in an amount such that after payment by the Executive of all taxes
(including any interest or penalties imposed with respect to such taxes),
including, without limitation, any income taxes (and any interest and penalties
imposed with respect thereto) and Excise Tax imposed upon the Gross-Up Payment,
the Executive retains an amount of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax
imposed upon the Payments. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section 8(a), if it shall be determined that the Executive is entitled to the
Gross-Up Payment, but that the Payments do not exceed 110% of the greatest
amount that could be paid to the Executive such that the receipt of the Payments
would not give rise to any Excise Tax (the "Reduced Amount"), then no Gross-Up
Payment shall be made to the Executive and the Payments, in the aggregate, shall
be reduced to the Reduced Amount.

                  (b)      Subject to the provisions of Section 8(c), all
determinations required to be made under this Section 8, including whether and
when a Gross-Up Payment is required and the amount of such Gross-Up Payment and
the assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determination, shall be made
by the Company's independent public accountant or such other certified public
accounting firm as may be designated by the Executive (the "Accounting Firm")
that shall provide detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and the
Executive within 15 business days of the receipt of notice from the Executive
that there has been a Payment or such earlier time as is requested by the
Company. In the event that the Accounting Firm is serving as accountant or
auditor for the individual, entity or group effecting the Change of Control, the
Executive shall appoint another nationally recognized accounting firm to make
the determinations required hereunder (which accounting firm shall then be
referred to as the Accounting Firm hereunder). All fees and expenses of the
Accounting Firm shall be borne solely by the Company. Any Gross-Up Payment, as
determined pursuant to this Section 8, shall be paid by the Company to the
Executive within five days of the receipt of the Accounting Firm's
determination. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon
the Company and the Executive. As a result of the uncertainty in the application
of Section 4999 of the Code at the time of the initial determination by the
Accounting Firm hereunder, it is possible that Gross-Up Payments that will not
have been made by the Company should have been made (the "Underpayment"),
consistent with the calculations required to be made hereunder. In the event the
Company exhausts its remedies pursuant to Section 8(c) and the Executive
thereafter is required to make a payment of any Excise Tax, the Accounting Firm
shall determine the amount of the Underpayment that has occurred and any such
Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of the
Executive.

                  (c)      The Executive shall notify the Company in writing of
any claim by the Internal Revenue Service that, if successful, would require the
payment by the Company of the Gross-Up Payment. Such notification shall be given
as soon as practicable but no later than 10 business days after the Executive is
informed in writing of such claim and shall apprise the Company of the nature of
such claim and the date on which such claim is requested to be paid. The
Executive shall not pay such claim prior to the expiration of the 30-day period
following the date on which the Executive gives such notice to the Company (or
such shorter period ending on the date that any payment of taxes with respect to
such claim is due). If the Company notifies the Executive in writing prior to
the expiration of such period that the Company desires to contest such claim,
the Executive shall:

                                       12

<PAGE>

                  (1)      give the Company any information reasonably requested
         by the Company relating to such claim,

                  (2)      take such action in connection with contesting such
         claim as the Company shall reasonably request in writing from time to
         time, including, without limitation, accepting legal representation
         with respect to such claim by an attorney reasonably selected by the
         Company,

                  (3)      cooperate with the Company in good faith in order
         effectively to contest such claim, and

                  (4)      permit the Company to participate in any proceedings
         relating to such claim;

provided, however, that the Company shall bear and pay directly all costs and
expenses (including additional interest and penalties) incurred in connection
with such contest, and shall indemnify and hold the Executive harmless, on an
after-tax basis, for any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest and
penalties with respect thereto) imposed as a result of such representation and
payment of costs and expenses. Without limitation on the foregoing provisions of
this Section 8(c), the Company shall control all proceedings taken in connection
with such contest, and, at its sole option, may pursue or forgo any and all
administrative appeals, proceedings, hearings and conferences with the
applicable taxing authority in respect of such claim and may, at its sole
option, either direct the Executive to pay the tax claimed and sue for a refund
or contest the claim in any permissible manner, and the Executive agrees to
prosecute such contest to a determination before any administrative tribunal, in
a court of initial jurisdiction and in one or more appellate courts, as the
Company shall determine; provided, however, that, if the Company directs the
Executive to pay such claim and sue for a refund, the Company shall advance the
amount of such payment to the Executive, on an interest-free basis, and shall
indemnify and hold the Executive harmless, on an after-tax basis, from any
Excise Tax or income tax (including interest or penalties with respect thereto)
imposed with respect to such advance or with respect to any imputed income with
respect to such advance; and provided, further, that any extension of the
statute of limitations relating to payment of taxes for the taxable year of the
Executive with respect to which such contested amount is claimed to be due is
limited solely to such contested amount. Furthermore, the Company's control of
the contest shall be limited to issues with respect to which the Gross-Up
Payment would be payable hereunder, and the Executive shall be entitled to
settle or contest, as the case may be, any other issue raised by the Internal
Revenue Service or any other taxing authority.

                  (d)      If, after the receipt by the Executive of an amount
advanced by the Company pursuant to Section 8(c), the Executive becomes entitled
to receive any refund with respect to such claim, the Executive shall (subject
to the Company's complying with the requirements of Section 8(c)) promptly pay
to the Company the amount of such refund (together with any interest paid or
credited thereon after taxes applicable thereto). If, after the receipt by the
Executive of an amount advanced by the Company pursuant to Section 8(c), a
determination is made that the Executive shall not be entitled to any refund
with respect to such claim and the Company does not notify the Executive in
writing of its intent to contest such denial of refund prior to the expiration
of 30 days after such determination, then such advance shall be forgiven

                                       13

<PAGE>

and shall not be required to be repaid and the amount of such advance shall
offset, to the extent thereof, the amount of Gross-Up Payment required to be
paid.

                  SECTION 9.        CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. The Executive
shall hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company all secret or
confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Company or the
affiliated companies, and their respective businesses, which information,
knowledge or data shall have been obtained by the Executive during the
Executive's employment by the Company or the affiliated companies and which
information, knowledge or data shall not be or become public knowledge (other
than by acts by the Executive or representatives of the Executive in violation
of this Agreement). After termination of the Executive's employment with the
Company, the Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the
Company or as may otherwise be required by law or legal process, communicate or
divulge any such information, knowledge or data to anyone other than the Company
and those persons designated by the Company. In no event shall an asserted
violation of the provisions of this Section 9 constitute a basis for deferring
or withholding any amounts otherwise payable to the Executive under this
Agreement.

                  SECTION 10.       SUCCESSORS. (a) This Agreement is personal
to the Executive, and, without the prior written consent of the Company, shall
not be assignable by the Executive other than by will or the laws of descent and
distribution. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by
the Executive's legal representatives.

                  (b)      This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns.

                  (c)      The Company will require any successor (whether
direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or
substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to assume
expressly and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same
extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession
had taken place. "Company" means the Company as hereinbefore defined and any
successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid that assumes and agrees to
perform this Agreement by operation of law or otherwise.

                  SECTION 11.       MISCELLANEOUS. (a) This Agreement shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware,
without reference to principles of conflict of laws. The captions of this
Agreement are not part of the provisions hereof and shall have no force or
effect. This Agreement may not be amended or modified other than by a written
agreement executed by the parties hereto or their respective successors and
legal representatives.

                  (b)      All notices and other communications hereunder shall
be in writing and shall be given by hand delivery to the other party or by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid,
addressed as follows:

                                       14

<PAGE>

                  if to the Executive:
                  Name:____________
                  Payless ShoeSource, Inc.
                  3231 SE Sixth Avenue
                  Topeka, Kansas 66607

                  if to the Company:
                  Payless ShoeSource, Inc.
                  3231 SE Sixth Avenue
                  Topeka, Kansas 66607
                  Attention: General Counsel

or to such other address as either party shall have furnished to the other in
writing in accordance herewith. Notice and communications shall be effective
when actually received by the addressee.

                  (c)      The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision
of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other
provision of this Agreement.

                  (d)      The Company may withhold from any amounts payable
under this Agreement such United States federal, state or local or foreign taxes
as shall be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or
regulation.

                  (e)      The Executive's or the Company's failure to insist
upon strict compliance with any provision of this Agreement or the failure to
assert any right the Executive or the Company may have hereunder, including,
without limitation, the right of the Executive to terminate employment for Good
Reason pursuant to Sections 4(c)(1) through 4(c)(5), shall not be deemed to be a
waiver of such provision or right or any other provision or right of this
Agreement.

                  (f)      From and after the Effective Date, this Agreement
shall supersede any other agreement between the parties with respect to the
subject matter hereof; provided, however, in no event shall this Agreement
supersede or replace the Indemnification Agreement between the Executive and the
Company, dated as of March 24, 2003.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Executive has hereunto set the
Executive's hand and, pursuant to the authorization from the Board, the Company
has caused these presents to be executed in its name on its behalf, all as of
the day and year first above written.

                                       15

<PAGE>

                                                  ______________________________
                                                  Name:

                                                  PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.

                                                  By____________________________
                                                  Name:
                                                  Title:

                                       16

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