The sporting goods retailer has bought the California-based shoe firm for a cash consideration of $325m (£244m) of which $100m (£75m) has been deferred and will be paid on various dates over the next 12 months.

Shoe Palace, which operates 167 stores across the US, will continue to be managed by founders the Mersho brothers, and will begin sharing ideas and practices with the JD team from next year.