Leading American footwear retailer Steve Madden has responded to a decline in earnings across its fiscal third quarter with a note of optimism for its future.

“We got off to a solid start to the year in the first quarter, with healthy underlying demand across our brands driven by compelling product assortments and strong marketing execution,” Edward Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO, said.

Rosenfeld’s comments referred to Steve Madden’s total revenue of $653 million, an 18 per cent increase from the previous year. Adjusted net income, however, fell by 3 per cent.

“While earnings declined in the first quarter, we expect to return to earnings growth in the second quarter and deliver strong top- and bottom-line growth for the full year,” Rosenfeld added. “Looking out further, we are confident that our powerful brands, proven business model, and talented team position us to deliver sustainable growth for years to come.”

Steve Madden ended the quarter with 387 brick-and-mortar stores, including 95 outlet stores, as well as eight e-commerce websites and 162 concessions sites. These sites contributed to a recorded $206 million in direct-to-consumer sales.

Excluding its recently-acquired Kurt Geiger business, wholesale revenue declined 8.2 per cent. Wholesale footwear revenues across the group fell by 5.8 per cent.

Steve Madden said it now expects fiscal 2026 revenue to increase from between 10 per cent and 12 per cent compared to 2025.