Steve Madden Ltd. Delivers Robust Growth in Q2 2026
Steven Madden, Ltd., a leading global fashion footwear and accessories company, reported robust top-line growth of 19% in the second quarter of 2026, with diluted EPS more than doubling from the same period last year.
In a call to investors on July 30th, Danielle McCoy, Vice President of Corporate Development and Investor Relations, highlighted the strength of the company's brands and disciplined execution of its long-term strategy. Edward Rosenfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, emphasized that the flagship brand, Steve Madden, was the highlight of the quarter, with consumers responding enthusiastically to trend-right assortments created by Steve and his design team.
The company saw strong performance in women's footwear, driven by dress shoes at various heel heights and outsized growth in the casual category. In particular, categories such as split toes, jellies, hidden wedges, rhinestone mesh, ballet-inspired looks, thongs, and needle heels gained traction. Men's footwear also performed well across a range of categories, with particular strength in loafers.
Handbags returned to strong growth, with totes, hobos, and crossbody styles incorporating trending materials like straw, jelly, and denim. The company's marketing team supported these assortments with integrated brand and product storytelling, including a deeper partnership with model Delilah Bell. This combination of compelling product and market execution fueled a meaningful increase in brand heat, with global online searches for Steve Madden rising 71% in the quarter.
The Kurt Geiger London brand also made significant progress during the quarter, driven by a focus on building out its store base in the U.S. The company opened two full-price stores in premium malls at Tysons Corner and Dadeland, bringing its total number of full-price stores in the country to seven. These new stores were off to a good start, with existing stores performing well and driving strong formal profitability.
The introduction of Kurt Geiger's one-of-a-kind personalization service also drove 17% of handbag sales in the stores where it was available. The company sees this as a key differentiator for the brand that will be leaned into going forward. Outside the U.S., Steven Madden acquired a business in Spain and Portugal from its distributor, allowing it to operate that business in-house.
The company continues to expect mid-teens pro forma revenue growth in Kurt Geiger for the year, with an increased forecast for Steve Madden brand revenue of a high single-digit increase compared to 2025. Based on strong momentum, Steven Madden has adjusted its expectations for the flagship brand and now anticipates a significant increase in revenue.
