The simplicity of the Steve Madden logo seems to symbolize the brand’s core promise: quality products you can rely upon.
The history of the footwear company started in 1990. Steve Madden founded his brand with only $1,100. Next year, he released his first popular product, the chunky platform shoe that redefined the category. Two more years later, he opened his first boutique in Soho. In 2000, the brand reached sales of $205 million and opened its 50th store.
When the men’s collection was launched in 2001, Steve Madden was named “Company of the Year” by Footwear News. The following year, the designer was convicted of stock manipulation and securities fraud and sentenced to 41 months in prison.
According to the company, there are now 120 Steve Madden stores across the US and 250 in more than 65 other countries.
You could come across this version on the packaging of the products. While it was also basically the name of the brand, the style was completely different from the primary logo.
The design was based on two ellipses placed one inside the other. Between the ellipses, the name of the designer could be seen. The word “Steve” was positioned inside the upper part of the logo, while the word “Madden” could be seen inside the lower half. The two words were separated from each other by two identical squares each standing on one of the angles.
The type was a traditional serif one with classic proportions and varying widths of the strokes, which gave it a retro touch.
The design went through a complete overhaul. There has been nothing left from the elegant, light ellipse symbol. The primary logo looks straightforward. It has grown simpler, heavier, cleaner, and better legible. The type is a generic sans.
While the old version included pictorial elements, the current one features nothing but the name of the designer.
In addition to the primary logo, the company also uses a favicon. It is a combination of the letters “S” and “M” taken from the main logo. Similar to the wordmark, the favicon hardly has anything distinctive about it.
The designer opted for the most popular coloristic approach in the world of fashion logos. The primary Steve Madden logo is black over the white background, which gives a chance to place it in various visual contexts. Alternatively, the writing can be white (for instance, you can see this version in the shops).