EXHIBIT 10.02

                           J. BAKER, INC.
                     1994 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
                         PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARD




11,000 Shares                                              June 5, 1997

         Pursuant to its 1994 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), J. Baker, Inc.
(the  "Company")  hereby  grants  to James D.  Lee,  Executive  Vice  President,
President of Licensed  Discount  division of the Company,  a  Performance  Share
Award (the "Award")  under which Mr. Lee may receive,  in the  aggregate,  up to
11,000  shares of common  stock of the Company,  par value $.50 (the  "Shares"),
upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Award agreement.

         1.       Shares Subject to the Award.  The Award covers an aggregate 
of up to 11,000 Shares.

         2.       Performance  Term.  The Award is linked to a  performance  
term (the  "Performance  Term")  which begins on June 5, 1997 and ends on 
April 1, 1999.

         3.       Performance Measure.
         At the end of the Performance  Term, the Compensation  Committee of the
Board of Directors (the  "Committee")  shall determine the average closing price
of the Company's common stock (the "Common Stock") on the NASDAQ National Market
System,  or on the principal  exchange on which the Common Stock is traded,  for
the 15 consecutive  trading days ending on April 1, 1999.  The price  determined
pursuant to the  previous  sentence  shall be known as the "Target  Price".  The
number of Shares to which Mr.  Lee shall be  entitled,  if any,  under the Award
shall be determined in accordance with the following table:



                                                           
                            Target Price                      Number of Shares
                           --------------                     ----------------
                              $10.00                             5,500
                              $11.00                             6,875
                              $12.00                             8,250
                              $13.00                             9,625
                              $14.00                            11,000


         If the Target Price falls between whole dollar  amounts per share,  the
number of Shares shall be determined  by linear  interpolation.  For example,  a
Target  Price of $10.50  would  correspond  to 6,188  Shares;  a Target Price of
$12.63 would correspond to 9,116 Shares.

         4. Issuance of Shares.  As soon as  practicable  after the  Committee's
determination  of the number of Shares to be issued  pursuant  to an Award under
Section 3, a stock  certificate shall be delivered to Mr. Lee for such number of
Shares,  provided  that (a) the  Company  shall  have  received  any  agreement,
statement or other  evidence it may require to satisfy  itself that the issuance
of such Shares and any  subsequent  resale of the Shares  will be in  compliance
with  applicable  laws and  regulations,  (b)  arrangements  satisfactory to the
Company have been made for the  withholding of all taxes required to be withheld
with  respect  to the  Award,  and (c) all  other  conditions  to such  issuance
contained in the Plan or this Award Agreement have been satisfied.

         5.       Further Conditions on Issuance of Shares.

         (a)  Performance  Certification.  No Shares shall be issued pursuant to
the Award unless the Committee has previously  certified in writing to the Board
of  Directors  the degree to which the  performance  measure  established  under
Section  3 was in fact  satisfied.  For  this  purpose,  approved  minutes  of a
Committee meeting in which the  certification was made shall constitute  written
certification.
         (b)      Continued  Employment.  No Shares  shall be issued  pursuant 
to the Award  unless Mr. Lee remains employed by the Company throughout the 
Performance Term.
         (c) Change of Control.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5(b),
in the event of a Change of Control  (as  defined in Section  13(c) of the Plan)
occurring  during  the  Performance  Term  and  the  termination  of  Mr.  Lee's
employment  prior to the end of the Performance  Term, the Target Price shall be
determined  during the 15  consecutive  trading days ending on the date on which
the Change of Control  occurs.  If the Target Price,  as so determined,  exceeds
$10.00, Mr. Lee shall be entitled to receive,  within 15 days of his termination
of employment,  the number of Shares determined  pursuant to the table set forth
in Section 3 above.  If the Target Price does not exceed  $10.00,  Mr. Lee shall
not be entitled to receive any Shares pursuant to this Award Agreement.

         6.       Miscellaneous.

         (a)  Notices.  Any  notice  required  or  permitted  to be given by the
Company or the Committee  pursuant to this Award Agreement shall be deemed given
when personally delivered or deposited in the United States mail,  registered or
certified,  postage  prepaid,  addressed to Mr. Lee at his last address shown on
the records of the Company.
         (b) No  Assignment  of  Benefits.  Mr.  Lee's  rights  under this Award
Agreement shall not be subject in any manner to anticipation,  alienation, sale,
transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge prior to the actual issuance
of Shares to Mr. Lee; any attempt to so anticipate,  alienate,  sell,  transfer,
assign, pledge,  encumber or charge prior to such receipt shall be void, and the
Company  shall  not  be  liable  in any  manner  for or  subject  to the  debts,
contracts, liabilities, engagements or torts of Mr. Lee or any other person.
         (c) No Right to Continued Employment.  Nothing contained herein confers
upon Mr. Lee the right to be  retained  in the  service of the Company or limits
the right of the Company to discharge or otherwise  deal with him without regard
to the existence of this Award Agreement.


         (d) Benefits to be Unfunded and Unsecured.  This Award  Agreement shall
at all times be entirely  unfunded,  and no provision  shall at any time be made
with  respect to  segregating  assets of the Company  (including  stock) for the
settlement  of any Awards  hereunder.  No person  shall have any interest in any
particular  assets of the  Company  (including  stock)  by reason of this  Award
Agreement,  and any person claiming rights  hereunder shall have only the rights
of a general unsecured creditor of the Company.
         (e)  Rights  as a  Shareholder.  Mr.  Lee  shall  have no  rights  as a
shareholder  with respect to any Shares hereunder unless and until a certificate
or certificates  representing  such Shares are duly issued and delivered to him.
Except as otherwise  expressly provided in the Plan, no adjustment shall be made
for  dividends  or other  rights for which the record  date is prior to the date
such stock certificate or certificates are issued.
         (f)      The Plan.  In the event of any  discrepancy  or inconsistency
between this Award  Agreement and the Plan, the terms and conditions of the 
Plan shall control.
         (g)      Governing  Law.  This  Award  Agreement  shall be  governed  
by the laws of the  Commonwealth  of Massachusetts.
                                     

                                         J. BAKER, INC.

                             By:/s/Alan I. Weinstein
                             Name: Alan I. Weinstein
                             Title:   President and
                             Chief Executive Officer


   Receipt of the foregoing Award Agreement is acknowledged and their terms and

conditions are hereby agreed to:


June 5, 1997                                         /s/James Lee
Date                                                 James D. Lee