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Note T - Commitments, Contingencies and Other | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] | Note T – Commitments, Contingencies and Other Legal proceedings:
| (a) | On February 2, 2012, two individuals purporting to be stockholders of the Company commenced separate civil actions in the Supreme Court of New York, Queens County, Mark Ioffe, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant Steven Madden, Ltd. v. Steven Madden, et. al, No. 700188-2012 (the “Ioffe Action”) and Catherine L. Phillips, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant Steven Madden, Ltd. v. Steven Madden, et. al, No. 700189-2012 (together with the Ioffe Action, the “Actions”). The Actions assert derivative claims challenging the decision of the Company’s Board of Directors in January 2012 to amend Steven Madden’s employment agreement dated July 15, 2005, and amended as of December 14, 2009 (the “Madden Employment Agreement”) and to amend the promissory note (the “Promissory Note”) setting forth Mr. Madden’s obligations in respect of a loan made by the Company to Mr. Madden in 2007 and amended in 2009. The Actions assert that the Board violated its duties of loyalty and good faith by approving the amendments to the Madden Employment Agreement and the Promissory Note and that the changes set forth in the amendments constitute a waste of corporate assets. The Actions also assert claims of unjust enrichment against Mr. Madden. The Actions seek, on behalf of the Company, disgorgement of any compensation that Mr. Madden has received as a result of the amended Madden Employment Agreement, an award of damages to the Company, and a declaration that the amendments of the Madden Employment Agreement and the Promissory Note are void. The Company intends to seek dismissal of the Actions based on, among other things, the plaintiffs’ failure to make a demand that the Company’s Board of Directors investigate their claims.
| (b) | On August 10, 2005, following the conclusion of an audit of the Company conducted by auditors for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“U.S. Customs”) during 2004 and 2005, U.S. Customs issued a report that asserts that certain commissions that the Company treated as “buying agents’ commissions” (which are non-dutiable) should be treated as “selling agents’ commissions” and hence are dutiable. Subsequently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified the Company’s legal counsel that a formal investigation of the Company’s importing practices had been commenced as a result of the audit. In September of 2007, U.S. Customs notified the Company that it had finalized its assessment of the underpaid duties at $1,400. The Company, with the advice of legal counsel, evaluated the liability in the case, including additional duties, interest and penalties, and believed that it was not likely to exceed $3,045, and accordingly, a reserve for this amount was recorded as of December 31, 2009. The Company contested the conclusions of the U.S. Customs audit and filed a request for review and issuance of rulings thereon by U.S. Customs Headquarters, of Regulations and Rulings, under internal advice procedures. On September 20, 2010, the Company was advised by legal counsel that U.S. Customs had issued a ruling in the matter, concluding that the commissions paid by the Company pursuant to buying agreements entered into by the Company and one of its two buying agents under review were bona fide buying-agent commissions and, therefore, were non-dutiable. With respect to the second buying agent, U.S. Customs also ruled that beginning in February of 2002, commissions paid by the Company were bona fide buying agent commissions and, therefore, were non-dutiable. However, U.S. Customs found that the Company’s pre-2002 buying agreements with the second agent were legally insufficient to substantiate a buyer-buyer’s agent relationship between the Company and the agent and that commissions paid to the second agent under such buying agreements, in fact, were dutiable. On the basis of the U.S. Customs ruling, the Company reevaluated the liability in the case and believes that it is not likely to exceed $1,248 and the reserve was reduced from $3,045 to such amount as of September 30, 2010.
|  | On November 21, 2011, U.S. Customs issued a pre-penalty notice to the Company in which it alleges that gross negligence by the Company resulted in an underpayment of duties with respect to certain pre-2002 buying agreements and claims that the Company owes $342 as an additional duty and $1,367 in monetary penalties. In its February 16, 2012 response to the pre-penalty notice, the Company submitted that it owes no additional duty and, further, did not through negligence or gross negligence fail to pay any duty or engage in conduct amounting to either gross negligence or negligence. The Company requested that U.S. Customs withdraw its proposal to issue a notice of penalty and take no further adverse action against the Company. In the event that U.S. Customs is not inclined to withdraw the pre-penalty notice after review of the Company’s response, the Company has requested the opportunity to make an oral presentation to U.S. Customs prior to the issuance of a notice of penalty. In the event that U.S. Customs decides to issue a notice of penalty, the Company intends to file a petition for relief requesting a reduction of the level of culpability and mitigation of the penalty amount assessed. The maximum total amount of damages related to this matter is approximately $1,700 for which the Company has accrued $1,248.
| (c) | The Company has been named as a defendant in certain other lawsuits in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, after consulting with legal counsel, the liabilities, if any, resulting from these matters should not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. It is the policy of management to disclose the amount or range of reasonably possible losses in excess of recorded amounts in its annual report.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 14 -Paragraph 3 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25287-109308 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.25) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6449706&loc=d3e16207-108621 + Details
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