Steve Madden Biography

Career

Worked at a shoe store, Toulouse, c. 1974–76, and at Jildor, a women's clothing boutique, c. 1978; began as sales representative for a footwear company, L. J. Simone, c. 1979, and held various other positions before leaving in mid-1988; founded Souliers; founded Steve Madden Ltd., 1990; became chair and chief executive officer when it became a publicly traded company, 1993; resigned both posts to serve as creative and design chief, 2001.

Sidelights

Few other American shoemakers ever achieved the brand-name recognition that Steve Madden enjoyed, but even fewer took such a dramatic tumble from the top. His company, Steve Madden Ltd., was one of the fashion industry's most surprising success stories of the 1990s, with his au courant boots, heels, and clogs dominating the women's mid-price market. In 2002, however, Madden was convicted on charges of securities fraud and money laundering, and entered federal prison. He was released in 2005 and was back on the job at his company's Long Island City headquarters soon afterward. His story, he hoped, would serve as a cautionary tale for his 500-plus employees, one that could help them mature "professionally and develop more long-term thinking and less instant gratification," he told Footwear News reporter Katie Abel. "Instant gratification is really about insecurity. I lived my life that way. But now I'm trying to say that we don't have to do that."