EXHIBIT 99.3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

            PHOENIX FOOTWEAR COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF ALTAMA FOOTWEAR

 ANNOUNCES ORDER TO SUPPLY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WITH HOT WEATHER INFANTRY BOOTS

CARLSBAD, California, July 19, 2004 - Phoenix Footwear Group, Inc. (AMEX: PXG)
announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Altama Delta
Corporation ("Altama"). Altama, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of high
performance combat and tactical boots for U.S. and foreign militaries,
government agencies and the commercial sector, generated revenues of $40 million
for the 12 months ended April 3, 2004. The Company expects that the acquisition
will be accretive to earnings. The Company will update its financial guidance to
reflect the acquisition when it reports its second quarter 2004 financial
results on Tuesday, August 3, 2004.

The Company also announced that Altama has been notified by the Defense
Logistics Agency that the Department of Defense (DoD) intends to exercise its
option to renew its current contract with Altama for one year for the
manufacture of hot weather infantry boots. The government has not yet specified
a quantity of boots that it plans to order.

James R. Riedman, Chairman of Phoenix Footwear, commented, "A profitable company
with strong sales performance in an attractive niche market, we are thrilled to
add Altama to our portfolio of footwear and apparel brands. In addition, we
recently announced the appointment of Glen Becker to the position of Vice
President and General Manager of Altama. Glen is a well-respected and proven
executive in this segment, having served in senior management roles at Wolverine
World Wide, Inc.'s Bates Footwear Division and at Weinbrenner Shoe Company. We
welcome Glen, as well as all of the employees of Altama to the Phoenix Footwear
team."

Altama Footwear has been a prime contractor to the U.S. DoD for 35 consecutive
years. Altama markets and distributes its products to federal, state and local
agencies, military schools, law enforcement agencies and consumers, among other
channels, throughout the U.S. as well as in 70 countries. Launched in 1991,
Altama's non-DOD, commercial business currently represents approximately 35% of
Altama's net sales.

ABOUT PHOENIX FOOTWEAR GROUP, INC.

Phoenix Footwear Group, Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad, California, designs,
develops and markets men's and women's footwear and apparel. The Company's
premium brands include the Trotters(R), SoftWalk(R), H.S. Trask(R), and Ducks
Unlimited(R) footwear lines and the Royal Robbins(R) and Audubon(R) apparel
lines. The Company was ranked by Footwear News as the fastest growing footwear
firm during the three-year period of 1999 to year-end 2001, and the 10th most
profitable for 2002 based on net margins. Phoenix Footwear Group, Inc. is traded
on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol PXG.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be
covered by the safe harbors created thereby. These forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected benefits of
the Altama acquisition and the DoD's renewal of the current Altama contract.
Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainty that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements. These risks include, without limitation, the
possibility that the Company will not achieve anticipated benefits from the
transaction, or that the Company will not successfully integrate the operations
of Altama without encountering difficulties such as unanticipated costs,
possible difficulty in retaining customers and supplier or manufacturing
relationships, the failure to retain key employees, the diversion of management
attention or failure to integrate the Company's information and accounting
systems. More information about potential factors that could affect Phoenix
Footwear's business and financial results is included in Phoenix Footwear's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 27, 2003 filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which is available at the
SEC's website at

http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements included in this press
release are based on information available at the time of the release, and
Phoenix Footwear assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

CONTACTS:

Kenneth Wolf                            Todd St.Onge
Chief Financial Officer                 Brainerd Communicators, Inc.
Phoenix Footwear Group, Inc.            (212) 986-6667
(760) 602-9688