-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 CDccQEt3xbw71JmatShrH90ajmyu/PtNfqHn1I1vlEz6L2nOdMvWjkBC4OF+vFEP
 7AQioZohOFzHi6ssh6mCiQ==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001175748-03-000002.txt : 20030527
<SEC-HEADER>0001175748-03-000002.hdr.sgml : 20030526
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030527145324
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001175748-03-000002
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030523
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030527

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			PAYLESS SHOESOURCE INC /DE/
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001060232
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-SHOE STORES [5661]
		IRS NUMBER:				431813160
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0130

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3231 SOUTH EAST SIXTH STREET
		CITY:			TOPEKA
		STATE:			KS
		ZIP:			66607-2207
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9132335171

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3231 S E 6TH ST
		CITY:			TOPEKA
		STATE:			KS
		ZIP:			66607-2207

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	PAYLESS SHOESOURCE HOLDINGS INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19980421

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			PORZIG ULLRICH E
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001175748

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-14770
		FILM NUMBER:		03719816

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3231 S E SIXTH AVENUE
		CITY:			TOPEKA
		STATE:			KS
		ZIP:			66607
		BUSINESS PHONE:		7852952087

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3231 S E SIXTH AVENUE
		CITY:			TOPEKA
		STATE:			KS
		ZIP:			66607
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-23</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001060232</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PAYLESS SHOESOURCE INC /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PSS</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001175748</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PORZIG ULLRICH E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Senior Vice President</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1500</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>46301</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Trust</va
lue></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>14.47</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>6500</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2004-05-23</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-05-23</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>6500</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactio
nAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>6500</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The reporting person holds 41,094 shares indirectly in a trust account and approximately 5,207 indirectly under the Payless ShoeSource, Inc. 401(k)  Plan (the &amp;quot;Plan&amp;quot;) based on a statement provided by the Plan Administrator. Because the Payless Common Stock Fund under the Plan holds both cash and Payless Common Stock, the actual number of shares allocable to each participant's account varies from statement to statement.  Reporting person also holds 10,590 shares directly.  All share amounts have been adjusted for a three-for-one split of the Company's common stock to shareholders of record as of March 13, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Grant of an option to buy 6,5
00 shares of common stock under the Payless ShoeSource, Inc. 1996 Stock Incentive Plan which provides for tax withholding rights in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3.  The option vests in three equal installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Ullrich E. Porzig</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-05-23</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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