Steven Madden, Ltd. (SHOO) published the transcript of its Q2 2026 earnings call. The company's stock reached a 52-week high of 47.12 USD.
CEO Rosenfeld highlighted strong performance in women's footwear, noting growth in dress shoes across heel heights and outsized growth in the casual category. He said the company capitalized on trends including split toes, jellies, hidden wedges, rhinestone mesh, ballet-inspired looks, thongs and needle heels.
Rosenfeld acknowledged that some products, such as boots and suede, have a longer shelf life because they can sell year-round. He emphasized that trend cycles move faster than ever today, noting that Steven Madden is not going to suddenly have styles that run for years.
Men's footwear also performed well across a range of categories, with particular strength in loafers.
Rosenfeld described the Nordstrom Anniversary sale as a 'really positive story,' saying, 'We're having a really phenomenal event.' He added that every division participating in the sale is seeing increased sell-through versus the prior year, with the Steve Madden brand's women's footwear business standing out. He noted that last year's event marked the start of an inflection with 'significant improvement in sell-through,' and this year the company is seeing 'big increases in both overall volume and sell-through percentage.'
Wholesale footwear revenue in Q2, a 9% increase.
Wholesale footwear revenue reached $240 million, up 9 percent; excluding Kurt Geiger, it rose 7.8 percent. During the quarter, the company opened two full-price Kurt Geiger stores in premium malls in Tysons Corner and Dadeland, US, bringing the total number of full-price Kurt Geiger stores in the US to seven.
Of Dolce Vita, Rosenfeld said the brand had 'an outstanding second quarter with strong growth across wholesale and DTC channels,' driven by a compelling product assortment highlighted by jellies, ballet flats, Mary Janes, mid-heel dress shoes and thongs.
Full-price stores continue to outperform the outlet channel. US outlet revenue, down 1 percent in Q1, rebounded to up 12 percent in Q2, while US full-price stores revenue rose 16 percent and US e-commerce revenue increased 20 percent.
CFO Zine Mazouzi told investors the company is absorbing higher shipping costs for the DTC business. He also said Q3 tariff rates reflect new Section 301 25 percent duties on Brazil, and a new 10-12.5 percent tariff for forced labor went into effect on July 24. The fourth quarter estimates include a 15 percent tariff rate, 'a little bit higher than the currently announced tariffs,' Mazouzi said, noting that two more investigations are pending.