It’s been some time since we’ve heard from Omnicom-owned Twin Cities institution Martin|Williams, but we have now received confirmation that the agency’s relationship with Payless ShoeSource has come to an end.  The bargain shoe company, which is part of the Collective Brands umbrella, sent this statement below:

“Payless ShoeSource is proud of what we accomplished in partnership with Martin/Williams.  Going forward, our team is very focused on meeting the needs of our core budget-conscious customers and delivering compelling advertising behind Payless’ unique and differentiated positioning.  We are exploring collaboration with a range of agency partners to help us achieve our marketing goals for the remainder of the year and beyond.”

From what we’re hearing, Payless has tapped a Chicago shop among others to take over its ad duties. We’ll keep you posted when we know more.