Steve Madden saw growth in footwear across its brand portfolio in the third quarter, according to chief executive officer Edward R. Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld told investors in an earnings conference call Thursday that its “flagship brand Steve Madden led the way with strong growth across footwear, accessories and apparel, as well as in both wholesale and DTC (direct-to-consumer) channels.” He said that in footwear, the brand had “exceptional growth in casuals, along with strong performance in booties and heels [that] more than offset a decline in tall shaft boots.” The brand also saw success across a wide range of shapes in its handbag category. And in apparel, he said the brand had a “successful launch of denim and drove strong sell-though across categories including dresses, tops, bottoms and jackets.” The CEO also noted that Madden Girl and the brand’s men’s footwear line are both “showing strong growth this year versus last year.” He noted men’s is benefiting from the fashion shift as more men are “deciding that they’re going to get out of their sneakers and wear maybe loafers. And so, we’re doing phenomenal with loafers. We’re doing phenomenal with updated dress shoes.” And Rosenfeld added that men’s still has some sneaker styles that
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