Donald Trump won a second term for president on Wednesday morning. A few hours later, Steve Madden had put a plan in motion to move a large portion of its production out of China — and quickly.

It’s well known that one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to slap tariffs on shoes and other Chinese imports — a move that would translate into significant price increases. In a study released this week, the National Retail Federation warned U.S. consumers could pay between $6.4 billion to $10.7 billion more for footwear a year with proposed tariffs.

Ed Rosenfeld, chief executive officer of the New York-based company, told analysts on a conference call Thursday that Madden — which reported solid third-quarter earnings — had been preparing for a “potential scenario in which we would have to move goods out of China more quickly.”

Of course, footwear and retail executives are well aware of the impact tariffs can have on their bottom lines. The issue was a major storyline during Trump’s first term.

Overall, about two-thirds of Madden’s business is derived from imports. And about 70 percent of those imports are sourced from China. That means just about half of Madden’s business is currently subject to tariffs — if Trump ultimately decides to put them in place.

Rosenfeld said the company has been working hard to develop production capabilities in Cambodia, Vietnam, Mexico and Brazil.

The company’s goal: To reduce the percentage of goods produced in China by 40 to 45 percent. “If we’re able to achieve that, a year from today we would be looking at just over a quarter of the business subject to tariffs,” Rosenfeld said.

One thing is clear: The industry wants to avoid the tariffs altogether.

“The supporters of the president-elect are very concerned about their pocketbooks,” FDRA president and chief executive officer Matt Priest said this week. “Encouraging the administration not to add taxes on goods for American people is probably a really good place to start if you want to ensure that the prices stay low.”

— With contributions from Shoshy Ciment

Steve Madden on Thursday raised its full-year outlook after reporting sales and earnings for the third quarter of 2024 that were ahead of its expectations.

Revenues in the third quarter were $624.7 million, up 13 percent compared to the same quarter in 2023. Adjusted net income was $64.8 million, or 91 cents per diluted share, compared to $65.1 million and 88 cents per diluted share the prior year. Sales and profits were ahead of what analysts surveyed by Yahoo were looking for: $607.86 million in revenues and 89 cents in EPS.

Chairman and chief executive officer Edward Rosenfeld said in a statement that accessories and apparel sales, including strong performance in Steve Madden handbags, helped drive the solid results in the quarter. Contributions from the newly acquired Almost Famous brand, which Steve Madden snapped up in October for $52 million, continued to bolster the apparel business.

Rosenfeld also cited “robust top line gains in international markets and direct-to-consumer channels.”

By channel, wholesale revenues were up 14.4 percent over the prior year to $495.7 million. Wholesale footwear revenue was down 2.2 percent and wholesale accessories and apparel revenue increased 54.2 percent. Gross profit as a percentage of wholesale revenue was 35.5 percent. Direct-to-consumer revenues were up 7.8 percent to $125.5 million, driven by reduced promotional activity. As of the end of Q3, Steve Madden operated 282 brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Steve Madden updated its 2024 outlook and now expects revenues to increase 13 to 14 percent compared to the prior year. Adjusted diluted EPS is expected to be in the range of $2.62 to $2.67.

Steve Madden is partnering with Hilos, the on-demand product creation platform, to speed up its footwear making process.

Via a new partnership, Steve Madden will utilize Hilos’ 3D printing and generative design technology to condense its shoe development process for certain new products. This will allow the brand to create and deliver shoes in as little as 72 hours and will help avoid overproduction by starting its creation process only once an order is placed. The brand announced the partnership Tuesday during a session at TechCrunch Disrupt.

“Steve Madden has always been about speed, but that’s increasingly come at odds with becoming a more sustainable company,” Steve Madden’s chief sustainability officer Gregg Meyer said in a statement. “This Hilos partnership is revolutionary for us because we can produce faster, make less, but sell more. This is just the start of something big for both of us.”

Founded in 2019, Hilos creates and ships a 3D printed shoe to a customer within 72 hours of an order placement. This responsive model allows the company to avoid excess production — and the 3D printing system helps avoid manufacturing waste that is common in the months-long cycle it typically takes to produce a pair of shoes overseas. Hilos, which stands for Human Innovation Lab Operating System, lets humans design their own shoe sketches on its platform but uses AI to accelerate the process.

Hilos began testing its solution with its own concept footwear line that launched in May 2021 with an open-toe chunky heel called the Georgia. Since then, the technology captured the attention of other sustainably-minded brands looking to utilize the system in their own network. In October 2021, Hilos partnered with shoe brand Helm to launch a line powered by this technology. The Steve Madden partnership will be similar, but specific branding and messaging for the line is still in development. The products will be available for purchase in Steve Madden’s DTC channels.

Hilos recently closed a $5 million funding round in 2023 to fuel product creation and partnerships with other brands. The funding round included investors such as former Nike chief operating officer Eric Sprunk, Nike’s retired VP of global footwear sourcing and manufacturing Greg Bui, XRC Labs, Better Ventures and Builders VC and brought the company’s total funding to $7 million.

Steve Madden is seeking to stop Ganni from interfering with its business relationships in its latest legal battle.

According to an ongoing lawsuit that was first filed in July in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Steve Madden is claiming that Ganni has sent a rapid series of cease-and-desist letters to the company and its United States wholesale customers and resellers, including Nordstrom and Dillard’s, since February.

In the letters, Steve Madden said that the Danish fashion brand is alleging that its “Graya” flat and, at least in one instance, the “Sandria” sandal, infringe worldwide copyrights and other intellectual property rights Ganni claims to own in its “Feminine Buckle Ballerina” and “Feminine Buckle Two-Strap Sandal.”

“Ganni did not invent the ballet flat or the slingback flat; Ganni did not invent the timeless pointed toe or the combined use of belted straps and metal eyelets on shoe designs; and Ganni certainly did not invent the use of two-adjustable buckle straps on an open-toe sandal,” the Long Island City, N.Y.-based Steve Madden wrote in the lawsuit. “Simply put, Ganni owns no intellectual property rights in its shoe design in the United States and its claims of ‘worldwide’ rights are patently false.”

As of now, the case is still in its early stages as Ganni’s main operations are in Europe. In fact, Ganni’s Danish headquarters, was only served the lawsuit last month. As of Oct. 4, Ganni has 21 days to respond to Steve Madden’s allegations.

Madden said Ganni’s allegations of trademark infringement have no basis since its design is not original. “As of the date of this filing, Steve Madden has identified almost 100 similar versions of the Buckle Ballerina and Two-Strap Sandal presently or previously available for sale in the United States,” the suit said.

Madden went on to state that Ganni has been “harassing and threatening” Steve Madden and its customers. For instance, the company alleged that Ganni demanded that Dillard’s destroy its inventory of Graya shoes, Madden said. Then, Ganni made the same demands of Nordstrom, which in turn canceled hundreds of customer orders for Graya shoes based on Ganni’s misrepresentations, Madden claimed.

Ganni has also sued a small e-commerce California retail site, Lulu’s Fashion Lounge LLC, in Denmark courts demanding that it cease all sales of the Steve Madden shoes and destroy its inventory. Steve Madden claims that this suit was also filed to inflict harm on Steve Madden and its business relationships.

“Ganni’s tortious and improper attempts to use foreign litigation and other harassment tactics to stop the lawful manufacturing, marketing, and selling of Steve Madden’s shoes in the United States is interfering with Steve Madden’s legitimate business and its contractual relationships with its customers,” the lawsuit claims. “Ganni’s statements to Steve Madden customers are false and defamatory in nature, improperly leading Steve Madden’s longtime customers to believe that Steve Madden is infringing on design rights in the United States that Ganni does not have.”

FN has reached out to Steve Madden, Ganni and Nordstrom for comment.

Heidi Klum was spotted wearing an all-denim look as she arrived for a taping at the “America’s Got Talent” studio on Tuesday in Pasadena, Calif. 

The “Making the Cut” host wore a button down top tucked into high-waisted two-tone capris that featured a raw hemline and graphic pathwork that sat along the inseam. She accessorized with a pair of round sunglasses and a quilted Gucci denim shoulder bag with gold hardware matching her earrings.

Klum completed the look by slipping into a pair of denim Steve Madden booties. The Katari heels featured an open lace-up closure that started right above the elongated pointed toe. The set was supported by a stiletto heel that was about 4 inches tall. The designer’s booties retail for $159.95.

The model usually works with styling duo Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi who can be credited for the sparkling pink gown and nude mules she wore to the show’s Season 19 live finale performances later that day. The two have also created looks for other stars like Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani.

The last time we saw Klum was walking around Los Angeles last week wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin ‘Just Me’ Metallic Leather Sandals.

The German model has always been known for having the best style and wardrobe. Whether she’s sitting poolside vacationing in Miami or making a red-carpet appearance, the former Victoria’s Secret angel is always dressed to impress. She loves to wear vibrant colors and patterns for any occasion. Her shoe collection ranges from 6-inch heels to buckled booties from top labels like Saint Laurent, Maison Valentino and Giuseppe Zanotti.

Heidi Klum’s Best Red Carpet Style

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Dylan Mulvaney was in attendance at HBO and Max’s Emmys after party on Sept. 15 in a glamorous Rebecca Vallance dress and bow-adorned heels.

The social media star wore Rebecca Vallance’s black and silver Rina Split gown, which featured a pattern of diamanté embellishments on the bodice. A diamanté bow was affixed below the bodice, centered along a glittering trim that separated the top from the floor-length narrow black skirt. The skirt also featured a slit in front which exposed Mulvaney’s leg and footwear.

Meanwhile, the top was designed with a square neckline and sparkling diamanté-embellished straps. The gown is marked at a price point of $1,470.

Mulvaney matched the elegance of her dress with a pair of black heels with sparkling silver accents; they appeared to be Mach & Mach’s $1,095 double bow silk satin pumps. Glimmering crystal embellishments formws a trim along the curved vamp and also adornws the ankle and side straps.

Two embellished layered bows adorned the vamp, matching the bow detail on Mulvaney’s dress and a black one in her hair. Meanwhile, a 4.25 inch stiletto heel offered a significant lift.

This style is quite popular in the footwear realm — a strikingly similar design can be found in Steve Madden’s $109.95 Viable heels in black, which feature a textile upper and vegan leather lining.

This is not the first time Mulvaney has opted for a bow-adorned heel. The TikTok influencer and actress wore a silver interpretation of the style with a pink floral dress at a pride party hosted by Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet this past June. Sporting a different style earlier in the year, she was in attendance at the Golden Globes in January wearing light pink heeled sandals with a matching feathery dress.

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The Best Shoes at the 2024 Emmys

View Gallery 14 Images

Say “Beetlejuice” three times and Jenna Ortega is sure to appear in an appropriately gothic-inspired outfit to help promote the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic movie. The young star has been traveling internationally in support of the upcoming horror/comedy film, dressed in luxury ensembles with elegant footwear to match.

Not only are the fashion-forward outfits aesthetically pleasing but they also have major pop culture significance since they have been inspired by some of the beloved film’s characters. See below for some of the best press tour looks from Ortega, who plays the daughter of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” releasing Sept. 6.

In Mexico City, Ortega wore an asymmetrical Vivienne Westwood dress featuring a swirling black sequined design against a beige backdrop. She paired the dress with black platform Mary Jane pumps from Steve Madden; the shoes featured a sparkling strap across the foot.

One of Ortega’s simple but chic daytime looks amid the press tour consisted of a white dress, black jacket and coordinating footwear. She paired white socks with classic black leather loafers, showing the power of an ordinary ankle sock.

Black platform pumps were the move yet again for a photo call in New York City. The Dolce & Gabbana Keira sandal she wore features a classic minimalist design including a strap across the toes and a thinner strap around the ankle. She stood much taller than usual with the help of a soaring stiletto heel. The shoes complemented a business formal look, consisting of a long skirt and buttoned long sleeve top from Dolce & Gabbana; both top and bottom were black with gray pinstripes.

Ortega demonstrated the art of layering on Aug. 18, wearing a black leather bralette from AF by DS over a white button down, pairing this with a short black skirt. Her footwear also included a layering element — her white and black Vivaia pumps were complemented by sheer black ankle socks. The shoes also featured a block kitten heel and a classic cap toe design reminiscent of Chanel shoes.

Opting for another striped look, Ortega wore a mini skirt and blazer from Vivienne Westwood, continuing the pattern with vertically striped tights. She also wore Vivienne Westwood shoes, appearing to be a version of the brand’s elevated Ghillie platform pump, which are inspired by Scottish shoes known as ghillie brogues. Ortega’s shoes included laces across the vamp, a rounded toe and a tall block heel, in addition to a dangling cord that wrapped around the ankle and dangled with a tassel. The shoes are currently offered from the brand in a black crocodile print.

On Aug. 19, Ortega wore a preppy ensemble from Thom Browne, including a green plaid skirt, white top and navy cardigan inspired by the Lydia Deetz character from the film. For her footwear, she chose two-toned brogue pumps from the same brand which featured criss-crossing straps forming an X-shape across the foot.

Ortega arrived in Venice ahead of the premiere of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 27 paying tribute to another character from the film. In a nod to Adam Maitland who originally appeared in Tim Burton’s horror comedy film and was played by Alec Baldwin, Ortega wore a black and white plaid jacket, red shirt and khaki shorts — all of which was complemented by maroon loafers from Jimmy Choo.

Ortega paid homage to Lydia Deetz’ red wedding gown from the original “Beetlejuice,” and wore a sheer cutout Christian Dior dress. She paired the look with sky-high Jimmy Choo peep-toe platform heels. While they were barely visible under the floor length skirt, the sheer material allowed for the shoes to peek through as she moved through the carpet.

Jenna Ortega’s Shoe Style Evolution, Photos

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Platform shoes have today become a staple item in women’s footwear closets, in the form of boots, sandals, heels and sneakers. Their popularity can rise and fall along with the current fashion trends — especially when the reigning look calls for wide-leg pants — but the unique appeal of platforms keeps it coming back decade after decade.

Arguably, though, the biggest moment for platform shoes was the early 1970s, when the elevated footwear became hugely popular across a remarkably diverse set of young people. It bridged both racial and gender divides and crossed oceans, showing up across the globe in Europe, Australia, the U.S. and elsewhere.

The shoes were the perfect complement to the disco and glam rock music of the era, which embraced outrageous, gender-bending ensembles that demanded attention.

Below is a look back at the height of popularity of platform shoes and their enduring legacy in today’s style landscape.

A Brief History of Platform Shoes

The earliest platform shoes were developed for practical purposes. For instance, in Ancient Greece, they were used in plays to increase the height of certain actors and make them more prominent on stage.

During the Middle Ages, they were helpful for traversing through the muck in city streets. Italians of the time called them chopines, while in the rest of Europe they were known as pattens. The geta sandals worn in Japan offered a similar benefit.

But our first 20th century example of the shoe arrived in 1938, courtesy of designer Salvatore Ferragamo. Considered the creator of the modern platform, Ferragamo crafted the Rainbow sandal for actress Judy Garland, in reference to her beloved song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The multicolored sandal was produced in kidskin leather with a layered cork sole and heel covered in suede. The original is now a museum piece, in the collection of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, though replicas in nappa and suede are available from the brand for $2,900.

Why Were Platforms Popular in the 1970s

After seeing moderate success in the 1940s, platform shoes roared back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Much of the credit for its fresh popularity goes to the reigning pop music of the time — and accompanying aesthetics.

This was the era of disco. Think ABBA, Donna Summer, the Bee Gees. When men and women hit the dance floor at Studio 54 in New York City or even their local nightclub, they were often wearing bell bottoms or wide-leg pants that could drag on the ground, making taller shoes a necessity. And the benefit of platforms is that they can add height to the wearer without causing the foot to arch at an uncomfortable angle (as in the case with stilettos heels). So those Dancing Queens could go all night without pain.

Meanwhile, across the pond, in the U.K., glam rock was similarly sweeping the nation with its even more outrageous outfits. Artists like David Bowie, KISS and Elton John all adopted platform shoes as part of their over-the-top, on-stage personas — and fans wanted them off stage as well.

The year 1970 also marked the debut of “Soul Train,” a TV series that helped popularize the music and fashion of the Black community among mainstream audiences.

In a 2023 CNN feature about “Soul Train,” radio broadcaster and music industry veteran Dyana Williams explained its impact. “The fashion was fly,” she said. “It was a combination of kind of boho hippie meets Black nationalism. … ‘Soul Train’ set a tone for young people at that time to wear their hair natural, to wear vests, the platform shoes, the bell bottoms, the long maxi dresses. So our fashion taste, the cultivation clearly came from ‘Soul Train’ and then the rest of the media that we saw.”

And on the big screen, movies like “Saturday Night Fever” and blaxploitation films such as “Shaft” and “Foxy Brown” further fueled the platform shoe trend among diverse audiences.

Who Wore Platform Shoes

Today, platform shoes are made primarily for women. But in the 1970s, the style was almost equally worn by men and women.

Historians refer to this era in the 1960s and ’70s as the Peacock Revolution, when men’s fashion became more flamboyant. Young men threw out their father’s staid gray suits of the 1950s. Instead, sport jackets and shirts became more colorful, with stripes, plaids, ruffles, corduroy and velvet. Pants got wider. The hair got longer. And the shoes got taller.

What we typically see in fashion history is women adopting items from menswear, but this is one of the few instances where the opposite occurred, where men embraced a more feminine look. Some have tied it to the era’s evolving ideas around traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

Which Platform Shoes Were Popular

One of the hottest shoe brands during the disco era was Kork-Ease. Today it is best known as a comfort footwear brand, but in the 1970s, its buffalo sandal — a sky-high platform wedge featuring crisscross thick leather straps — was tearing up the dance floors across the country and selling out in stores.

In fact, Tommy Perse, co-founder of legendary L.A. retailer Maxfields, told the Los Angeles Times in 1988 that he sold so many pairs of Kork-Ease sandals in the ‘70s that “it gave me money to travel to Europe.”

Other brands from across the price spectrum — from Sbicca to Yves Saint Laurent — also capitalized on the trend, crafting platform versions of pumps, loafers, brogues, knee-high boots and everything in between.

The Legacy of Platforms

By the mid- to late 1970s, the platform shoe trend had fallen out favor, making way for the preppy/sporty look of the 1980s.

But like all things in fashion, what is loved is never forgotten, so it was only a matter of time before the footwear made its return. And the 1990s delivered, bringing us flatform sandals like the Steve Madden Slinky sandal, towering leather boots a la The Spice Girls, stacked Dr. Martens and more.

In the 2000s and 2010s, platform shoes evolved further, adopting aspects of the fetish trend with extreme heights, razor-thin heels and clear Perspex materials. One famed example is the YSL Tribute heel, which launched in 2009. “It” girls galore stepped out in the 5-inch heels, and it is still the No. 1 most-searched style for the brand on TheRealReal.

Steve Madden has unveiled its global fall 2024 campaign “Never Miss a Beat,” a love letter to New York City, where the brand was founded in 1990.

The brand’s birthplace is front and center in the video, and a number of familiar New Yorkers make cameos throughout.

Stars include “The Green Lady” of Brooklyn, who is known for wearing only green; fashion designer and club personality Richie Rich; writer Mickey Boardman; drag queen Lady Bunny; fashion journalist Lynn Yaeger; and taxi driver-turned-viral street hooper George Papoutsis.

Additionally, Seth Phillips, aka @guywithasign, is featured holding a sign that reads, “Yes, Steve is a real person.” Fittingly, Mr. Madden himself also makes a cameo, and during the scene he serves a hot dog from a Sabrett street cart.

“Set to ‘Groove is in the Heart’ by Deee-Lite, the video’s aim is to transport viewers to NYC. It depicts the kind of only-in-New York moments that happen when people run into friends or catch a glimpse of familiar faces on their commutes.

Showcasing a variety of Steve Madden styles, the video features models dancing around the city while engaging in activities like playing basketball, riding the subway and eating 99 cent pizza.

Some of the footwear styles showcased include the Madrid silver sneaker, the Roland brown leather buckled boot, and the Dollie red leather cowboy boot, among many other shoes.

View the “Never Miss a Beat” campaign video below.

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Unified Commerce Group  — the direct-to-consumer operator that already rolled up Spiritual Gangster and Frank And Oak — is ready to move faster. 

The New York firm said on Thursday that it bought the assets of the premium, born-in-Brooklyn sneaker brand Greats Inc. from Steven Madden Ltd., which itself bought the business in 2019. As part of the deal, Madden will take a stake in the Unified business. 

Unified also made a strategic investment in Utah-based womenswear retailer Böhme, which was founded by Vivien and Fernanda Böhme and has 14 stores across Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona.

The quick pace — Unified has now done three deals in six months including Spiritual Gangster  — signals a new phase for the company. 

Chief executive officer Dustin Jones, the veteran of Fung Retailing Group and Macy’s who founded Unified with Greg Freihofner in 2019, said in an interview that the idea was to always take a “crawl, walk, run” approach.

Unified is now moving from crawl to walk and Jones seems ready to run soon.

The company, which now has more than 30 stores and over 200 wholesale partners, bases its brands around a hub that provides operational, tech and other support. 

It’s an approach designed to get stronger as more brands join — and Jones is very much on the hunt, having set up the business to snatch up DTC companies that need a new corporate context to thrive. 

“We incubated the hub with Frank And Oak, we incubated it with Spiritual Gangster, and we’re now increasingly expanding the scope of the hub,” Jones said. “That’s what we will do with all the brands we acquire in the future. It’s proven to lower their costs and it’s proven to accelerate their growth. The playbook has become pretty clear for us on that.”

While the DTC world Greats helped pioneer once saw scores of companies secure funding to help disrupt some part of the market, keeping the lights on now is much more of a grind for players that are still independent. 

Unified could offer something of a refuge. 

“As a founder you really get to clean up your cap table, you get to incentivize yourself,” Jones said. “Whether you grow three times or one times, the platform is your currency and then the resources that are available to you — whether it’s the backend, the front end, the sales cycle end — those resources are incrementally much stronger than what you’re able to do yourself.”

Jones said the Unified team is also starting to get some crucial experience that can be put to work on future investments. 

“In retail, much of success and failure is based on solving for the right problems first, not your ability to solve problems,” he said. “It’s solving for the right ones in the right priority. That’s where the pattern recognition that we’re developing is becoming so useful because we’re seeing these things [while we evaluate potential deals], and we’re saying, ‘Hey, that’s important, but we don’t need to solve that today.’ You might think that’s not as important as it is, but that’s actually number one.” 

And Unified also a new big backer to help it on its way.

Edward Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Steven Madden, said, “We have known Dustin and his team for a number of years, and are very confident that Greats will find a strong strategic fit with the fast-growing portfolio of brands at UCG.”