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Registration Rights Agreement

Effective Date: April 22, 2005
Parties:

Brown Shoe

Sectors: Consumer Products (Non-Durables)
Law Firms: Bryan Cave, Shearman & Sterling
Governing Law:  New York
EXHIBIT 10.1

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

by and among

Brown Shoe Company, Inc.

and

The Guarantors listed on Schedule A hereto

and

Banc of America Securities LLC

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

ABN AMRO Incorporated

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Dated as of April 22, 2005


REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement (this " Agreement" ) is made and entered into as of April 22, 2005, by and among Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a New York corporation (the " Company" ), the guarantors listed on Schedule A hereto (the " Guarantors" ) and Banc of America Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, ABN AMRO Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (the " Initial Purchasers" ), who have agreed to purchase the Company' s 8.75% Senior Notes due 2012 (the " Initial Notes" ) pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (as defined below).

This Agreement is made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2005 (the " Purchase Agreement" ), by and among the Company, the Guarantors party thereto and the Initial Purchasers (i) for the Initial Purchasers' benefit and (ii) for the benefit of the holders from time to time of the Notes (including the Initial Purchasers). In order to induce the Initial Purchasers to purchase the Initial Notes, the Company and the Guarantors have agreed to provide the registration rights set forth in this Agreement. The execution and delivery of this Agreement is a condition to the obligations of the Initial Purchasers set forth in Section 5(h) of the Purchase Agreement.

The parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:

Additional Interest: As defined in Section 5.

Additional Interest Payment Date: With respect to the Initial Notes, each Interest Payment Date.

Blackout Period: As defined in Section 4(c) hereof.

Broker-Dealer: Any broker or dealer registered under the Exchange Act.

Business Day: Any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day that the Commission is closed or is not accepting filings via EDGAR (or any successor system).

Closing Date: The date of this Agreement.

Commission: The Securities and Exchange Commission.

Consummate: A Registered Exchange Offer shall be deemed " Consummated" for purposes of this Agreement upon the occurrence of (i) the filing and effectiveness under the Securities Act of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement relating to the Exchange Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offer, (ii) the maintenance of such Registration Statement continuously effective and the keeping of the Exchange Offer open for a period not less than the minimum period required pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof, and (iii) the delivery by the Company to the Registrar under the


Indenture of Exchange Notes in the same aggregate principal amount as the aggregate principal amount of Initial Notes that were tendered by Holders thereof pursuant to the Exchange Offer.

Effectiveness Target Date: As defined in Section 5.

Exchange Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Exchange Notes: The 8.75% Senior Notes due 2012, of the same series under the Indenture as the Initial Notes, to be issued to Holders in exchange for Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to this Agreement.

Exchange Offer: The registration by the Company under the Securities Act of the Exchange Notes pursuant to a Registration Statement pursuant to which the Company offers the Holders of all outstanding Transfer Restricted Securities the opportunity to exchange all such outstanding Transfer Restricted Securities held by such Holders for Exchange Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Transfer Restricted Securities tendered in such exchange offer by such Holders.

Exchange Offer Registration Statement: The Registration Statement relating to the Exchange Offer, including the related Prospectus.

Holders: As defined in Section 2(b) hereof.

Indemnified Holder: As defined in Section 8(a) hereof.

Indenture: The Indenture, dated as of April 22, 2005, among the Company, the Guarantors and SunTrust Bank, a national banking corporation, associated under the laws of the State of Georgia, as trustee (the " Trustee" ), pursuant to which the Notes are to be issued, as such Indenture is amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.

Initial Purchasers: As defined in the preamble hereto.

Initial Notes: The 8.75% Senior Notes due 2012, of the same series under the Indenture as the Exchange Notes, for so long as such securities constitute Transfer Restricted Securities.

Initial Placement: The issuance and sale by the Company of the Initial Notes to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

Interest Payment Date: As defined in the Indenture and the Notes.

NASD: National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

Notes: The Initial Notes and the Exchange Notes.

Person: An individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust or unincorporated organization, or a government or agency or political subdivision thereof.

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Prospectus: The prospectus included in a Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement and by all other amendments thereto, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference into such Prospectus.

Record Holder: With respect to any Additional Interest Payment Date relating to the Notes, each Person who is a Holder of Notes on the record date with respect to the Interest Payment Date on which such Additional Interest Payment Date shall occur.

Registration Default: As defined in Section 5 hereof.

Registration Statement: Any registration statement of the Company relating to (a) an offering of Exchange Notes pursuant to an Exchange Offer or (b) the registration for resale of Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, which is filed pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, in each case, including the Prospectus included therein, all amendments and supplements thereto (including post-effective amendments) and all exhibits and material incorporated by reference therein.

Securities Act: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Shelf Filing Deadline: As defined in Section 4 hereof.

Shelf Registration Statement: As defined in Section 4 hereof.

Transfer Restricted Securities: Each Note, until the earliest to occur of (a) the date on which such Note is exchanged in the Exchange Offer and entitled to be resold to the public by the Holder thereof without complying with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, (b) the date on which such Note has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and disposed of in accordance with a Shelf Registration Statement and (c) the date on which such Note is distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the " Plan of Distribution" contemplated by the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (including delivery of the Prospectus contained therein).

Trust Indenture Act: The Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Section 77aaa 77bbbb) as in effect on the date of the Indenture.

Underwritten Registration or Underwritten Offering: A registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter for reoffering to the public.

Section 2. Securities Subject to this Agreement.

(a) Transfer Restricted Securities. The securities entitled to the benefits of this Agreement are the Transfer Restricted Securities.

(b) Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities. A Person is deemed to be a holder of Transfer Restricted Securities (each, a " Holder" ) whenever such Person owns Transfer Restricted Securities.

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Section 3. Registered Exchange Offer.

(a) Unless the Exchange Offer shall not be permissible under applicable law or Commission policy (after the procedures set forth in Section 6(a) below have been complied with), the Company and the Guarantors shall (i) cause to be filed with the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after the Closing Date, but in no event later than 90 days after the Closing Date, a Registration Statement under the Securities Act relating to the Exchange Notes and the Exchange Offer, (ii) use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective as soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than 180 days after the Closing Date, (iii) in connection with the foregoing, file (A) all pre-effective amendments to such Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to cause such Registration Statement to become effective, (B) if applicable, a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act and (C) cause all necessary filings in connection with the registration and qualification of the Exchange Notes to be made under the Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as are necessary to permit Consummation of the Exchange Offer, and (iv) upon the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, commence the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer shall be on the appropriate form permitting registration of the Exchange Notes to be offered in exchange for the Transfer Restricted Securities and to permit resales of Transfer Restricted Securities held by Broker-Dealers as contemplated by Section 3(c) below.

(b) The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Exchange Offer Registration Statement to be effective continuously and shall keep the Exchange Offer open for a period of not less than the minimum period required under applicable federal and state securities laws to Consummate the Exchange Offer; provided, however , that in no event shall such period be less than 30 days after the date notice of the Exchange Offer is mailed to the Holders. The Company and the Guarantors shall cause the Exchange Offer to comply with all applicable federal and state securities laws. No securities other than the Notes shall be included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement. The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Exchange Offer to be Consummated as soon as reasonably practicable after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has become effective, but in no event later than 30 Business Days after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has become effective.

(c) The Company shall indicate in a " Plan of Distribution" section contained in the Prospectus forming a part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement that any Broker-Dealer who holds Initial Notes that are Transfer Restricted Securities and that were acquired for its own account as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities (other than Transfer Restricted Securities acquired directly from the Company), may exchange such Initial Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offer; however, such Broker-Dealer may be deemed to be an " underwriter" within the meaning of the Securities Act and must, therefore, deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resales of the Exchange Notes received by such Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, which prospectus delivery requirement may be satisfied by the delivery by such Broker-Dealer of the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement. Such " Plan of Distribution" section shall also contain all other information with respect to such resales by Broker-Dealers that the Commission may require in order to permit such resales pursuant thereto, but such " Plan of Distribution" shall

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not name any such Broker-Dealer or disclose the amount of Notes held by any such Broker-Dealer except to the extent required by the Commission as a result of a change in policy, rules or regulations after the date of this Agreement.

The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement continuously effective, supplemented and amended as required by the provisions of Section 6(c) below to the extent necessary to ensure that it is available for resales of Transfer Restricted Securities acquired by Broker-Dealers for their own accounts as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities, and to ensure that it conforms with the requirements of this Agreement, the Securities Act and the policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as announced from time to time, for a period ending on the earlier of (i) 180 days from the date on which the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is declared effective and (ii) the date on which a Broker-Dealer is no longer required to deliver a prospectus in connection with market-making or other trading activities.

The Company shall provide sufficient copies of the latest version of such Prospectus to Broker-Dealers promptly upon request at any time during such 180-day (or shorter as provided in the foregoing sentence) period in order to facilitate such resales.

Section 4. Shelf Registration.

(a) Shelf Registration. If (i) the Company is not required to file an Exchange Offer Registration Statement or to Consummate the Exchange Offer because the Exchange Offer is not permitted by applicable law or Commission policy (after the procedures set forth in Section 6(a) below have been complied with), (ii) for any reason the Exchange Offer is not Consummated within 30 Business Days after the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has become effective, or (iii) any Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities shall notify the Company in writing prior to the 20 th day following Consummation of the Exchange Offer that (A) such Holder is prohibited by applicable law or Commission policy from participating in the Exchange Offer, or (B) such Holder may not resell the Exchange Notes acquired by it in the Exchange Offer to the public without delivering a prospectus and that the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not appropriate or available for such resales by such Holder, or (C) such Holder is a Broker-Dealer and holds Initial Notes acquired directly from the Company or one of its affiliates, then, upon such Holder' s request, the Company and the Guarantors shall:

(x) use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause to be filed a shelf registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, which may be an amendment to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (in either event, the " Shelf Registration Statement" ) as soon as practicable but in any event on or prior to the earliest to occur of (1) the 90 th day after the date on which the Company determines that it is not required to file the Exchange Offer Registration Statement pursuant to clause (a)(i) above, (2) the 90 th day after the date on which the filing obligation arises under clause (a)(ii) above, and (3) the 90 th day after the date on which the Company receives notice from a Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities as contemplated by clause (a)(iii) above (such date being the " Shelf Filing Deadline" ), which Shelf Registration Statement shall provide for resales of all Transfer Restricted Securities the Holders of which shall have provided the information required pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof; and

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(y) use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission on or before the 180th day after the date on which the filing obligation arises.

The Company and the Guarantors shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective, supplemented and amended, except during any Blackout Period permitted by Section 4(c) hereof, as required by and subject to the provisions of Sections 6(b) and (c) hereof to the extent necessary to ensure that it is available for resales of Notes by the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities entitled to the benefit of this Section 4(a), and to ensure that it conforms with the requirements of this Agreement, the Securities Act and the policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as announced from time to time, for a period of at least two years following the Closing Date (or shorter period that will terminate when all the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement have been sold pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement).

(b) Provision by Holders of Certain Information in Connection with the Shelf Registration Statement. No Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities may include any of its Transfer Restricted Securities in any Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such Holder furnishes to the Company in writing, within 20 Business Days after receipt of a request therefor, such information as the Company may reasonably request for use in connection with any Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus included therein. Each Holder as to which any Shelf Registration Statement is being effected agrees to furnish promptly to the Company all information required to be disclosed in order to make the information previously furnished to the Company by such Holder not materially misleading.

(c) Blackout Period . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company, upon notice to the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities, as provided in the last paragraph of Section 6 hereof, may suspend the use of the Prospectus included in any Shelf Registration Statement upon the happening of an event contemplated by Section 6(c)(iii)(D) hereof for a period of time (" Blackout Period" ) not to exceed an aggregate of 90 days in any twelve month period; provided , that , upon the termination of such Blackout Period, the Company shall notify the Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities that such Blackout Period has been terminated.

Section 5. Additional Interest. If (i) any of the Registration Statements required by this Agreement is not filed with the Commission on or prior to the date specified for such filing in this Agreement, (ii) any of such Registration Statements has not been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the date specified for such effectiveness in this Agreement (the " Effectiveness Target Date" ), (iii) the Exchange Offer has not been Consummated within 30 Business Days after the Effectiveness Target Date with respect to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or (iv) any Registration Statement required by this Agreement is filed and declared effective but shall thereafter cease to be effective or fail to be usable for its intended purpose without being succeeded immediately by a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement that cures such failure and that is itself immediately declared effective (each such event referred to in clauses (i) through (iv), a " Registration Default" ), the Company hereby agrees, regardless of any Blackout Period then in effect pursuant to Section 4(c) hereof,

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that the interest rate borne by the Transfer Restricted Securities shall be increased by 0.25% per annum during the 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of any Registration Default and shall increase by 0.25% per annum at the end of each subsequent 90-day period, but in no event shall such increase exceed 1.00% per annum (it being understood that the Company and the Guarantors shall in no event be required to pay such Additional Interest for more than one Registration Default at any given time). Such additional interest to be paid pursuant to a Registration Default as set forth in this Section 5 is herein referred to as " Additional Interest." Following the cure of all Registration Defaults relating to any particular Transfer Restricted Securities, the interest rate borne by the relevant Transfer Restricted Securities will be reduced to the original interest rate borne by such Transfer Restricted Securities; provided, however, that, if after any such reduction in interest rate, a different Registration Default occurs, the interest rate borne by the relevant Transfer Restricted Securities shall again be increased pursuant to the foregoing provisions.

All Additional Interest accrued pursuant to this Section 5 shall be paid to the Record Holders entitled thereto, in the manner provided for the payment of interest in the Indenture, on each Additional Interest Payment Date, as provided for in the Indenture and the Notes. All obligations of the Company and the Guarantors set forth in the preceding paragraph that are outstanding with respect to any Transfer Restricted Security at the time such security ceases to be a Transfer Restricted Security shall survive until such time as all such obligations with respect to such Note shall have been satisfied in full.

Section 6. Registration Procedures.

(a) Exchange Offer Registration Statement. In connection with the Exchange Offer, the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all of the provisions of Section 6(c) below, shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to effect such exchange to permit the sale of Transfer Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with the intended method or methods of distribution thereof, and shall comply with all of the following provisions:

(i) If in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Company there is a question as to whether the Exchange Offer is permitted by applicable law, the Company and the Guarantor hereby agree to use their commercially reasonable efforts to seek a no-action letter or other favorable decision from the Commission allowing the Company and the Guarantors to Consummate an Exchange Offer for such Initial Notes. The Company and the Guarantors each hereby agrees to use their commercially reasonable efforts to pursue the issuance of such a decision to the Commission staff level but shall not be required to take commercially unreasonable action to effect a change of Commission policy or to obtain such no-action letter or other favorable decision. The Company and the Guarantors each hereby agrees, however, to (A) participate in telephonic conferences with the Commission, (B) deliver to the Commission staff an analysis prepared by counsel to the Company setting forth the legal bases, if any, upon which such counsel has concluded that such an Exchange Offer should be permitted and (C) diligently pursue a favorable resolution by the Commission staff of such submission.

(ii) As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities shall furnish, upon the

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request of the Company, prior to the Consummation thereof, a written representation to the Company (which may be contained in the letter of transmittal contemplated by the Exchange Offer Registration Statement) to the effect that (A) it is not an affiliate of the Company, (B) it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in, a distribution of the Exchange Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offer and (C) it is acquiring the Exchange Notes in its ordinary course of business. In addition, all such Holders of Transfer Restricted Securities shall otherwise cooperate in the Company' s preparations for the Exchange O ...

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Agreement#: AG-239218
Pages: 21 pages
Format: MS Word MS Word Compatible
Price: $35.00
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