Topeka ? Children and their parents waited until later than usual this year before heading to the store to buy some new shoes for school, two shoe retailers said Thursday.

Topeka-based Payless ShoeSource Inc. and Evansville, Ind.-based Shoe Carnival Inc. both reported strong same-store sales in August after reporting disappointing sales in July.

Payless, which operates more than 4,600 shoe stores and an online retail site, said total company sales in August increased 3.9 percent, from $210.5 million last year to $218.8 million this year.

Sales in stores open at least a year – a good measure of retail health – increased 6.1 percent, the company said.

For July, Payless reported sales of $177.9 million – 3.5 percent lower than the same period a year ago. Sales for stores open at least a year dipped 2.4 percent.

Shoe Carnival, a regional retailer with 265 stores in the Midwest and Southeast, said total sales in August increased 7.3 percent to $81.8 million and same-store sales rose 2.4 percent.

The company last month reported July sales of $46.2 million, down 0.4 percent from the same period a year ago.