Breaking

2025 Steve Madden acquires British luxury house Kurt Geiger for ~$360M+ FY2025 Net sales reach ~$2.52B, up ~11% 1990 Founded with ~$1,100 and a car trunk NASDAQ: SHOO Publicly traded footwear leader 255+ retail locations worldwide Portfolio Dolce Vita · Betsey Johnson · Madden Girl · Kurt Geiger 2025 Steve Madden acquires British luxury house Kurt Geiger for ~$360M+ FY2025 Net sales reach ~$2.52B, up ~11% 1990 Founded with ~$1,100 and a car trunk NASDAQ: SHOO Publicly traded footwear leader 255+ retail locations worldwide Portfolio Dolce Vita · Betsey Johnson · Madden Girl · Kurt Geiger

Company Profile · Footwear & Fashion

Steve Madden & Co.

The New York fashion house that turned reading a trend fast into a $2.5 billion business.

1990

Founded

$2.5B

FY2025 Sales

3,500+

Employees

SHOO

NASDAQ

STEVEN MADDEN, LTD.
Long Island City, New York · est. 1990
Portrait of a brand built on speed

The Business

What Steve Madden actually does

Steve Madden - legally Steven Madden, Ltd. - designs, makes and sells fashion footwear, handbags and accessories, and it does so at prices most shoppers can reach without flinching. The company's core skill is not invention so much as translation: it watches what is happening on runways, on sidewalks and on social feeds, then moves quickly to put a version of that look on a store shelf while the trend is still current. That compressed distance between idea and product is the engine of the whole enterprise.

Founded in 1990 by designer Steve Madden with roughly $1,100 - selling shoes out of the trunk of his car - the business has grown into a publicly traded fashion house on NASDAQ under the ticker SHOO. In fiscal 2025 it reported net sales of about $2.52 billion, employs several thousand people, and operates a portfolio of owned and licensed brands sold through wholesale, its own stores, e-commerce and licensing.

$1,100

Starting capital, 1990

$2.52B

Net sales, FY2025

255+

Retail locations

Core channels

The Founder

Steve Madden, in his own lane

Steve Madden was born in Queens in 1958 and started the company in 1990 with almost nothing but an eye for what young shoppers would want next. An early breakout - a 1970s-inspired chunky platform - helped define late-90s teen fashion and gave the brand its identity.

His story took a detour that later became pop culture: the company's 1990s IPO was underwritten in part by Jordan Belfort's Stratton Oakmont, the firm dramatized in The Wolf of Wall Street. Madden was convicted of securities fraud and served roughly 31 months. He kept advising on designs throughout, and returned afterward as the company's creative force. The enterprise, notably, kept growing while he was away.

He began selling shoes of his own design from the trunk of his car - with about $1,100. - On the founding of Steve Madden, 1990

The worst is behind us. - CEO Edward Rosenfeld, on tariff pressures, 2025

Customers & Problem

Who it serves, and what it solves

THE CUSTOMER

The trend-conscious shopper

Primarily young, fashion-forward women - and increasingly men - who want the current look now, not next season. The brand has long ranked among U.S. teens' most-preferred footwear labels, once second only to Nike.

THE PROBLEM

Fashion is expensive and slow

Runway styles are costly and take months to reach the mass market. Steve Madden closes both gaps - offering the look of a high-fashion shoe at an accessible price, on shelves while the trend is still hot.

THE SCALE

Global, multi-channel reach

Sold through thousands of wholesale doors, 255+ company stores and online, across markets worldwide - with a portfolio of brands covering multiple price points and moods.

Products & Brands

One house, many labels

1990

Steve Madden footwear

The core line - boots, sneakers, heels, sandals, loafers and dress shoes for women and men.

2001

Steve Madden Men's

A dedicated men's collection extending the brand beyond its women's core.

2003

Madden Girl

A younger, value-priced footwear line aimed at teens and juniors.

2010

Betsey Johnson

Playful, feminine fashion spanning footwear, accessories and licensed categories.

2014

Dolce Vita

An acquired contemporary footwear brand known for chic, modern styles.

2025

Kurt Geiger

British luxury footwear and accessories - Kurt Geiger London, KG and Carvela - added upmarket.

GROWING

Handbags & accessories

Crossbody bags, wallets and sunglasses - an increasing share of the business.

LICENSING

Brand licensing

Licenses its brands across ready-to-wear, eyewear, jewelry, fragrance, luggage and home.

2023

Almost Famous

Acquired women's apparel label extending the company into fashion apparel.

Business Model

Four channels, one flywheel

Steve Madden earns money across four connected channels: wholesale to department stores and retailers; company-owned retail and e-commerce (direct-to-consumer); first-cost / private-label manufacturing for other retailers; and brand licensing. Footwear leads, with accessories, apparel and - since 2025 - the Kurt Geiger portfolio adding to the mix.

The design-to-shelf speed is the flywheel: quick trend reads feed fast product, which sells through multiple channels, which funds the next read. Acquisitions widen the range of shoppers the machine can reach.

WholesaleRetail & DTC Private LabelLicensing E-commerceAcquisitions

Net sales trajectory

Approximate annual net sales · USD billions

2019

~$1.8B

2021

~$1.9B

2023

~$2.0B

2024

~$2.28B

2025

~$2.52B

Figures are approximate, drawn from public reporting; 2025 includes Kurt Geiger contribution.

The Edge

How it differs from competitors

Speed over invention

Where many brands design seasons ahead, Steve Madden compresses the trend-to-shelf cycle - its defining, and most-debated, capability.

Price meets look

It targets the sweet spot between fast fashion and designer, offering an aspirational look at an accessible price.

Portfolio breadth

Owned and licensed brands - from Madden Girl to Kurt Geiger - let it serve many shoppers without diluting the core.

The company was repeatedly accused of making budget versions of high-fashion designs - the flip side of a model built on translating trends faster than anyone. - On the long-running "copycat or curator" debate

Its rivals span the map: Skechers, Aldo, DSW/Designer Brands, Sam Edelman, Vince Camuto, Stuart Weitzman and fast-fashion footwear from the likes of Zara and ASOS. Steve Madden's answer to all of them is the same - be on time, at the right price, again and again.

Milestones

A 35-year timeline

1990

A trunk and $1,100

Steve Madden founds the company, selling his own designs from his car.

1993

First store & IPO

Opens its first retail store in SoHo and goes public on NASDAQ.

2001

Company of the Year

Launches Steve Madden Men's; named Footwear News "Company of the Year."

2002

Founder sentenced

Convicted of securities fraud tied to the Stratton Oakmont era; keeps advising on design.

2005

Return to the brand

After serving his sentence, Madden returns in a creative leadership role.

2008

Rosenfeld becomes CEO

Edward Rosenfeld takes the helm, driving growth and M&A.

2014

Dolce Vita acquired

Broadens the company's contemporary footwear range.

2023

Almost Famous added

Expands into women's fashion apparel.

2025

Kurt Geiger deal

Acquires the British luxury house for ~$360M+, adding upmarket brands.

2025

$2.5B in sales

Reports fiscal 2025 net sales of roughly $2.52 billion.

Expertise & Market Fit

Where it sits in the market

Steve Madden's deep expertise is trend forecasting matched to fast, flexible sourcing - reading demand and reacting to it at scale. In the broader footwear landscape it occupies the accessible-fashion tier: above disposable fast fashion in quality and identity, below designer houses in price. That position has proven durable across three generations of shoppers and multiple retail cycles, and the 2025 move upmarket into Kurt Geiger signals an intent to own the trend-conscious customer at every price point.

Trend forecasting

Reading emerging styles early and betting merchandising on them.

Agile sourcing

A supply chain tuned for weeks, not quarters, from design to delivery.

Brand M&A

Buying and integrating labels to widen reach - Dolce Vita to Kurt Geiger.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What does Steve Madden make?

Steven Madden, Ltd. designs and sells trend-driven footwear, handbags and fashion accessories across owned and licensed brands, at accessible price points.

Is Steve Madden a public company?

Yes. It trades on NASDAQ under the ticker SHOO and reported about $2.52 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025.

Who founded Steve Madden and who runs it now?

Designer Steve Madden founded the company in 1990. Edward Rosenfeld has served as CEO since 2008, while Steve Madden remains involved as its creative force.

What brands does Steve Madden own?

Its portfolio includes Steve Madden, Madden Girl, Dolce Vita, Betsey Johnson and, since 2025, Kurt Geiger, among others, plus various licensed labels.

Is Steve Madden connected to The Wolf of Wall Street?

Yes. The company's 1990s IPO was underwritten in part by Jordan Belfort's Stratton Oakmont, and founder Steve Madden was later convicted of securities fraud tied to that era.

Steve Madden & Co.

What Steve Madden actually does

Steve Madden, in his own lane

Who it serves, and what it solves

The trend-conscious shopper

Fashion is expensive and slow

Global, multi-channel reach

One house, many labels

Steve Madden footwear

Steve Madden Men's

Madden Girl

Betsey Johnson

Dolce Vita

Kurt Geiger

Handbags & accessories

Brand licensing

Almost Famous

Four channels, one flywheel

Net sales trajectory

How it differs from competitors

Speed over invention

Price meets look

Portfolio breadth

A 35-year timeline

A trunk and $1,100

First store & IPO

Company of the Year

Founder sentenced

Return to the brand

Rosenfeld becomes CEO

Dolce Vita acquired

Almost Famous added

Kurt Geiger deal

$2.5B in sales

Where it sits in the market

Trend forecasting

Agile sourcing

Brand M&A

Interviews & product

Questions people ask

Links & official channels