(Reuters) - Foot Locker (FL.N), whose first-quarter results outpaced expectations on Thursday 20 May, forecast a tepid second quarter and said it will continue to remain cautious till it sees greater evidence of a sustained economic recovery.

"While mall traffic and consumer confidence in the United States is improving, we believe that in the near term, there remains much uncertainty in regard to consumer spending," Chief Financial Officer Bob McHugh said on a conference call.

As a result, the athletic shoe retailer expects comparable-store sales to increase in the low single digits in the second quarter, but sees total sales growth slipping 3 percent lower than comparable sales.

McHugh said second-quarter sales will also be pressured as the company will be operating 4 percent fewer stores during the quarter and due to the impact of foreign currency translations.

Foot Locker has been closing underperforming stores as it cut jobs and consolidated the operations of its various store chains under one management structure.

On Thursday 20 May, it said it had opened 14 new stores, remodeled or relocated 42 stores and closed 29 stores during the first quarter.

While the New York-based company does not see a material impact in the second quarter, foreign currency translations are expected to hurt third-quarter earnings per share by a penny, and the fourth quarter by 2 cents, it said on the call.

Nearly 29 percent of Foot Locker's revenue is generated from international markets, 80 percent of which comes from the U.K. and the Euro zone.

Shares of the company, which competes with Finish Line Inc (FINL.O) fell 2 percent to $13.18 in early trade Friday 21 May, but later recouped their losses and were trading up 20 cents at $13.64 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Shradhha Sharma in Bangalore; Editing by Unnikrishnan Nair)