Steve Madden on his time in prison, surviving the pandemic as a recovering alcoholic, and why sneakers are the shoe of 2021
- Shoe designer Steve Madden says working at a shoe store in New York in his 20s ‘rivals prison as the longest two years of my life’
- Madden predicts that ‘dress shoes will be a casualty of war’ and that fashion going forward will be more casual. ‘Sneakers are going to be more important’
Steve Madden, the founder and design chief of a multibillion-dollar shoe brand, knows something about being sanguine in a tough situation.
In 2002, Madden was convicted of stock manipulation, money laundering and securities fraud. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Madden had to resign as CEO of Steven Madden, the company he founded in 1990 with just US$1,100 in the bank. He remains the company’s creative and design chief.
“First thing I learned in prison is to not whine about my situation. It was not helpful,” Madden said. “You can easily get into ‘woe is me’ – everybody does. But you’re better off looking at the positive.”
Last autumn, Madden published a memoir, The Cobbler: How I Disrupted an Industry, Fell From Grace & Came Back Stronger Than Ever, about his experiences building his company, his conviction, prison time and recovery from drug addiction. Madden, 62, talked about all the lessons he learned along the way and how he is surviving this pandemic. Edited excerpts are below.
What is the toughest job you have had?