<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000950138-11-000426.txt : 20110919
<SEC-HEADER>0000950138-11-000426.hdr.sgml : 20110919
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20110728145923
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ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000950138-11-000426
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20110728

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BROWN SHOE CO INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000014707
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	FOOTWEAR, (NO RUBBER) [3140]
		IRS NUMBER:				430197190
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			NY
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0426

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		8300 MARYLAND AVE
		STREET 2:		P O BOX 29
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63105
		BUSINESS PHONE:		3148544000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		P O BOX 29
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63166

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BROWN SHOE CO INC/
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19990528

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BROWN GROUP INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19920703

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BROWN SHOE CO INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19720327
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 5.5in"><B><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt; FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt" face="High Tower Text">Brown Shoe Company, Inc.</FONT></B><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt" face="High Tower Text">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 5.5in"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt" face="High Tower Text">8300 Maryland Avenue</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 5.5in"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt" face="High Tower Text">St. Louis, MO&nbsp; 63105-3693</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 5.5in"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt" face="High Tower Text">314.854.4000</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.2in 0pt 0in"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>July 28, 2011</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0.2in 0pt 0in"><B><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>VIA EDGAR</FONT></B></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0.2in 12pt 0in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission<BR>
100 F Street, NE<BR>
Washington, D.C.&nbsp; 20549-4628<BR>
Attention: David Link&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-INDENT: -1in; MARGIN: 0in 0.2in 12pt 1in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Re:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Registration Statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-175574) of Brown Shoe Company, Inc., Sidney Rich Associates, Inc., Brown Group Retail, Inc., Brown Shoe International Corp., Buster Brown &amp; Co., Bennett Footwear Group LLC, American Sporting Goods Corporation, The Basketball Marketing Company, Inc., Edelman Shoe, Inc., Shoes.Com, Inc., and Brown Shoe Company of Canada Ltd (each, a &#147;Company&#148; and collectively, the &#147;Companies&#148;)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0.2in 12pt 0in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Ladies and Gentlemen:</FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In connection with the exchange offer being made by Brown Shoe Company, Inc. pursuant to the prospectus contained in the above-referenced registration statement and related letter of transmittal, this letter will confirm the following:</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Companies are registering the notes to be issued in the exchange offer (the &#147;Registered Notes&#148;) in reliance upon the position of the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#147;Commission&#148;) enunciated in the no-action letter issued to </FONT><U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation</FONT></U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond> (available May 13, 1988) and </FONT><U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Morgan Stanley and Co., Inc</FONT></U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>. (available June 5, 1991) as interpreted in the Commission&#146;s letter to </FONT><U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Shearman &amp; Sterling</FONT></U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond> dated July 2, 1993.</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Companies have not entered into any arrangement or understanding with any person to distribute the Registered Notes to be received in the exchange offer in exchange for the Companies&#146; outstanding notes (the &#147;Private Notes&#148;) and, to the best of the Companies&#146; information and belief, each person participating in the exchange offer is acquiring the Registered Notes in the ordinary course of its business, is not participating in and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in the distribution of the Registered Notes to be received in the exchange offer and is not an &#147;affiliate&#148; of any Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the &#147;Securities Act&#148;).&nbsp; In this regard, the Companies will make each person participating in the exchange offer aware that if such person is participating in the exchange offer for the purpose of distributing the Registered Notes to be acquired in the exchange offer, such person (i) could not rely on the Staff position enunciated in </FONT><U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation</FONT></U><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond> or interpretative letters to similar effect and (ii) must comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale transaction, unless an exemption from registration is otherwise available.&nbsp; The Companies acknowledge that such a secondary resale transaction by such person participating in the exchange offer for the purpose of distributing the Registered Notes should be covered by an effective registration statement containing the selling security holder information required by Item 507 of Regulation S-K.</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Securities and Exchange Commission</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>July 28, 2011</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14pt; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Page 2</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A broker-dealer may participate in the exchange offer with respect to Private Notes acquired for its own account as a result of market-making or other trading activities provided that the broker-dealer has confirmed that it has not entered into any arrangement or understanding with any Company or an affiliate of any Company to distribute the Registered Notes and the Companies (i) will make each person participating in the exchange offer aware (through the exchange offer prospectus) that any broker-dealer who holds Private Notes acquired for its own account as a result of market-making or other trading activities, and who receives Registered Notes in exchange for such Private Notes pursuant to the exchange offer, must deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act as described in (2) above in connection with any resale of such Registered Notes, and (ii)&nbsp;will include in the transmittal letter or similar documentation to be executed by an exchange offeree in order to participate in the exchange offer a provision providing that if the exchange offeree is a broker-dealer holding Private Notes acquired for its own account as a result of market-making or other trading activities, an acknowledgement that it will deliver a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act in connection with any resale of the Registered Notes received in respect of such Private Notes pursuant to the exchange offer; however, by so acknowledging and by delivering a prospectus, a broker-dealer will not be deemed to admit that it is an &#147;underwriter&#148; within the meaning of the Securities Act.</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The transmittal letter to be executed by each exchange offeree in order to participate in the exchange offer includes a representation to the effect that if the exchange offeree is not a broker-dealer that by accepting the exchange offer, the exchange offeree represents that it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, a distribution of the Registered Notes.</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Sincerely,</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>/s/ Michael I. Oberlander</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Michael I. Oberlander<BR>
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and </FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 4in" align=left><FONT style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-US face=Garamond>Corporate Secretary</FONT></P>
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