TOPEKA, Kan. — Payless ShoeSource is launching a line of shoes designed to have a lower impact on the environment, joining a number of other footwear makers and retailers that have already done the same.

The company will start selling a line of shoes next year that are made with organic cotton and linen, hemp, recycled rubber and biodegradable glues. The line will include up to 12 women’s shoes, and Payless plans to expand the line to include shoes for kids and men.

The shoes will retail, on average, for less than $30, and will be available in about 500 of the company’s 4,600 stores, with select styles in about 1,000 stores. All will be available on Payless.com.

Summer Rayne Oakes, a fashion and beauty expert for Discovery Network's Planet Green, is acting as a consultant for the line, reviewing materials, aesthetics of products and marketing.

While a number of companies exist that put out only shoes made with the environment in mind, such as Simple, many others like Nike, Vans and Converse have been integrating environmentally-friendly materials and practices into their operations, including eliminating harsh adhesives, using factory scraps and adding recycled rubber.