What started in 1990 as a modest investment of $1,100 has grown into one of the most iconic brands when it comes to shoes. Today, the Steve Madden brand has evolved into a lifestyle company. From a factory in Queens, New York City, which offers Steve Madden and his design team the unique opportunity to test products and quickly respond to trends, he has revolutionized the shoe industry.
By combining years of experience with unique and creative designs, inspired by rock and roll and his New York roots, his vision is to provide trendy women and men an outlet to express their individuality as innovative, bold, and inspiring.
Steve's innate understanding of trends and unparalleled determination have resulted in millions of customers worldwide and driven his designs to the forefront of fashion. He has expanded the Steve Madden brand into a lifestyle and destination for shoes, handbags, and accessories, sold in over 80 countries worldwide. It's about authenticity. It's about embracing individuality. It's Steve Madden.
History of Steve Madden
A man who wears many hats and shoes, Steve Madden cannot be described in one word. He is an entrepreneur, an award-winning designer, a business titan, and a family man. The eponymous shoe designer is also the subject of the documentary MADDMAN: The Steven Madden Story on Netflix. A film that delves into the man who built a thriving brand and almost lost it all to 'The Wolf of Wall Street', only to bounce back with a global empire. He has endured failures and, of course, successes without forgetting his humble beginnings or his key consumer, resulting in millions of adoring fans worldwide. Madden is considered the fashion footwear magnate of the 21st century and has an innate sense of what's hot, what the future holds, what's exciting, and, most importantly, how this will translate to the customer. Inspired by rock and roll, combined with a touch of sex appeal and urban edge, Madden creates shoes that are innovative, fun, sometimes wild, and always spot-on chic.
In 1990, with only $1,100 in the bank, Madden quickly followed his intuition to create the next big trend, anticipating the needs of the consumer and then delivering collections that were both cutting-edge and highly marketable. Channeling his creative energy to produce a variety of silhouettes and vibrant styles in his Queens factory, his dream soon became a reality and the Steve Madden brand was born.
Trendy shoe collections
The prolific designer's expertise in trend forecasting has brought him to the top of his field. Relying on pure instinct, he transformed a footwear relic into a phenomenon when he introduced a new reinforced platform shoe at the launch of his company. Inspired by rock stars of the 70s, Madden's now famous chunky platform shoes became one of the biggest success stories of that time and became a hallmark of the brand. With his finger on the pulse of pop culture, Madden says, 'What inspires me is what I see people wearing on the streets of the world, from New York to London and beyond. I get my ideas and inspiration from stomping the pavement.'
The fusion of style and music remains at the core of Madden: 'Music is in the DNA of what I do.' Just as with fashion and design, Madden has an eye and ear for emerging talent, which led to the creation of Steve Madden Music, an integrated marketing platform that promotes music artists through a multitude of media, consumer channels, and live performances. As such, he has collaborated with stars like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, and many more, all while they were becoming famous. With the continued success and constant growth of the Steve Madden Music platform, Steve decided to expand his love for music and launched 5Towns Records in 2016.
Order Steve Madden online
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