Footstar was spun off from the
Melville Corporation in 1996 as part of that corporation's reorganization of all of its operating divisions including
Marshalls,
KB Toys, This End Up, and
Linens 'n Things. After the spinoff and/or sale of all of its divisions other than
CVS Pharmacy, Melville changed its name to
CVS Corporation and relocated its headquarters to
Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Footstar originally consisted of three former Melville divisions: family footwear retailer
Thom McAn, athletic shoe retailer FootAction USA, and Meldisco, which operated footwear departments inside department and discount stores, primarily
Kmart. After closing down its Thom McAn division, Footstar retained its rights to the Thom McAn shoe brand. The Thom McAn brand and the Kmart footwear departments are now owned and operated by
Sears Brands, LLC. In 2000, Footstar acquired the shoe retailer
Just For Feet, which had filed for bankruptcy. == Financial difficulties ==