The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Steven Madden, Ltd. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Additionally, the Company consolidates the accounts of the following joint ventures, in which it holds a controlling financial interest: SM Dolce Limited (Hong Kong), SM Distribution Israel L.P. (Israel), SM Distribution Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), SM Distribution Latin America S. de R.L. (Latin America), Madden Operations Ltd. (Israel), Steve Madden South Africa Proprietary Limited (South Africa), AG SM Holdings Limited (Middle East), SM Fashion d.o.o. Beograd (Serbia), and BA Brand Holdings LLC (United States).

The interests of non-controlling shareholders in these consolidated entities are presented as net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in the Consolidated Statements of Income and as noncontrolling interest in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the following: the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the balance sheet date, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Significant areas involving management estimates include inventory valuation, goodwill and other intangible assets valuation, and variable consideration as part of revenue recognition, including chargebacks, markdown allowances, discounts, returns, and compliance-related deductions. The Company estimates variable consideration by analyzing several performance indicators for its major customers, including retailers’ inventory levels, sell-through rates, and gross margin levels. Management continuously evaluates these factors to estimate anticipated chargebacks and allowances.

Short-term investments consist of securities which the Company expects to convert into cash within one year, including time deposits with original maturities greater than three months but less than or equal to one year.

Property and equipment, net is recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization including the impact of impairments and disposals. Depreciation and amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives ranging from three to 27.5 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the remaining lease term. Refer to Note 6 – Property and Equipment for further information.

Long-lived assets, including property and equipment and operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets, are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances suggest that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Recoverability is evaluated by comparing the asset or asset group’s carrying value to the Company’s best estimate of undiscounted future cash flows. If the carrying value is in excess of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows, the Company will measure any impairment loss by comparing the carrying value of the asset or asset group to its fair value.

When estimating future cash flows, the Company considers various factors, including macroeconomic trends, consumer spending, capital investments, promotional activities, and advertising expenditures. As these estimates require significant judgment, actual results may differ, potentially leading to future impairments. Refer to Note 6 – Property and Equipment and Note 13 – Leases for further information.

Fair value is generally determined using a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) model or market approach, depending on the availability of market data and the nature of the asset. Under the DCF model, significant assumptions include estimates of future cash flows and discount rates, which reflect the risks associated with the expected future cash flows. When sufficient market data is available, the Company may apply a market approach by considering comparable market transactions, quoted market prices for similar assets, or appraisals when available.

The Company's goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually at the beginning of the third quarter, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate potential impairment.

In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, impairment may be assessed using a qualitative evaluation of relevant factors, including historical and expected financial performance, macroeconomic and industry conditions, and the legal and regulatory environment. If qualitative factors suggest it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset or reporting unit is lower than its carrying amount, a quantitative impairment test is performed. As part of its ongoing assessment, the Company periodically conducts a quantitative impairment analysis instead of a qualitative assessment. If the fair value of an intangible asset or reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized, limited to the intangible asset or reporting unit's carrying value. Refer to Note 7 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, typically ranging from 10 to 20 years, and are reviewed for impairment when indicators of impairment are present.

Comprehensive loss represents net earnings plus all other non-owner changes in equity, including foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized gains or losses on cash flow hedges. The accumulated balances for each component of other comprehensive loss attributable to the Company were as follows:


	Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023		2022
Currency translation adjustment	$	(49,270)	$	(28,201)	$	(35,493)
Cash flow hedges, net of tax	979		(845)		(216)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(48,291)	$	(29,046)	$	(35,709)

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included within operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, advertising costs were $101,954, $89,435, and $85,921, respectively.

The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies performance obligations identified under customer contracts, typically upon the transfer of control in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions of the sale. Most of the Company’s revenue is recognized at a point in time when the product is shipped to the customer. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for goods, including estimates for variable consideration. Variable consideration primarily includes markdown allowances, co-op advertising programs, and product returns. Revenue recognition policy by segment is described below. Refer to Note 19 – Operating Segment Information for disaggregated revenue by segment.

Wholesale Footwear and Wholesale Accessories/Apparel Segments. The Company generates revenue through the design, sourcing, and sale of branded and private label footwear, accessories, and apparel to both domestic and international customers who then sell the products to end consumers. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies performance obligations identified under the terms of customer contracts, typically upon the transfer of control of merchandise in accordance with contractual terms and conditions of the sale.

Direct-to-Consumer Segment. The Company generates revenue through the direct sale of branded footwear, apparel, and accessories to consumers. Revenue from physical store is recognized at the point of sale when the customer takes control of the goods and payment is received. E-commerce sales are recognized upon receipt of goods by the customer.

Licensing Segment. The Company licenses various trademarks under agreements that allow licensees to manufacture, market, and sell select apparel, accessories, home goods, and other non-core products. License agreements require royalty and, in most cases, advertising fee payments, both of which are based on the greater of a minimum or a percentage of net revenues. For license agreements where the sales-based royalty exceeds the contractual minimum, revenue is recognized as licensed products are sold, based on reports from licensees. For agreements where the contractual minimum fee is not exceeded, revenue is recognized ratably over the contract period. Minimum guaranteed royalties are generally earned and received quarterly.

First Cost Segment. As of January 2023, the Company no longer serves as a buying agent for any of its customers, and as a result no longer reports under the First Cost segment. Prior to January 2023, the Company earned commissions for serving as a buying agent for footwear products under private labels and certain owned brands for select national chains, and value-priced retailers. As a buying agent, the Company utilized its expertise and relationships with shoe manufacturers to facilitate the production of private label shoes to customer specifications. The Company’s commission revenue also included fees charged for its design and product development services provided to certain suppliers. The Company satisfied its performance obligation to its customers by performing the services required in the buying agency agreements and thereby earning its commission fee at the point in time when the customer’s freight forwarder takes control of the goods.

The Company provides markdown allowances and participates in co-op advertising programs to support retail sales of its products. These costs are deducted from gross sales to arrive at net sales in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.

Markdown Allowances. The Company provides markdown allowances to its retailer customers, which are recorded as a reduction of revenue in the period in which the branded footwear and accessories/apparel revenues are recognized. The Company estimates its markdown allowances by reviewing several performance indicators, including retailers' inventory levels, sell-through rates, and gross margin levels.

Co-op Advertising Programs. Under co-op advertising programs, the Company agrees to reimburse the retailer for a portion of the costs incurred by the retailer to advertise and promote some of the Company's products. The Company estimates the costs of co-op advertising programs based on the terms of the agreements with its retailer customers.

Rights of Return. The Company’s Direct-to-Consumer segment accepts returns within 30 days from the date of sale (in-store) or delivery (online) for unworn merchandise that can be resold. Returns from wholesale customers are generally not accepted, except for the Company’s Blondo® and Dolce Vita® product lines. The Company estimates returns based on historical trends and current market conditions, which have historically not been material. In cases where wholesale customers return damaged products, the Company typically recovers costs from the responsible third-party factory.

The Company accounts for certain taxes collected from its customers in accordance with the accounting guidance that allows for either gross presentation (included in revenue and costs) or net presentation (excluded from revenue). Taxes within the scope of this accounting guidance includes sales taxes, use taxes, value-added taxes, and certain excise taxes. The Company has elected the net presentation approach and excludes from revenue any taxes collected from customers.

Cost of sales includes all expenses incurred to bring finished products to the Company’s distribution centers, customers’ freight forwarders, and, for the Direct-to-Consumer segment, to the Company’s stores (excluding depreciation and amortization). These costs include finished product costs, purchase commissions, letter of credit fees, brokerage fees, sample expenses, custom duties, inbound freight, royalty payments on licensed products, and labels and packaging. Warehouse and distribution costs related to the Wholesale segments, as well as freight costs to customers (if applicable), are recorded in operating expenses, rather than in cost of sales, in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company’s gross margins may not be directly comparable to those of other industry peers, as some companies classify warehouse, distribution, or other costs differently within their financial statements.

The Company includes warehouse and shipping costs in operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, total warehouse and shipping costs were $97,958, $97,100, and $111,326, respectively. Since the Company's standard terms of sales are “FOB Steve Madden warehouse,” wholesale customers are typically responsible for any shipping costs. Shipping costs incurred by the Company for wholesale customers were not considered significant. Costs associated with shipping goods to customers are accounted for as fulfillment activities and reflected as operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

The Company maintains a tax-qualified 401(k) plan, which is available to each of the Company's eligible employees who elect to participate after meeting certain length-of-service and age requirements. The Company matches 50% of employees' contributions up to a maximum of 6% of eligible compensation, with vesting occurring over a specified period.

The Company uses derivative instruments to manage its exposure to cash flow variability from foreign currency risk. Derivatives are recorded at fair value and included in prepaid expenses and other current assets or accrued expenses on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company applies cash flow hedge accounting for its derivative instruments. Net gains and losses from these derivative instruments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and reclassified to earnings in future periods when the related economic transactions impact earnings. Refer to Note 12 – Derivative Instruments for further information.

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, recognizing deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates applicable to taxable income for the periods in which these assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities, based on its technical merits. Recognized tax benefits are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. Refer to Note 14 – Income Taxes for further information.

The Company recognizes compensation costs for equity-based awards when employees provide services in exchange for equity instruments. The Company’s equity-based compensation awards include the following:

Stock options. Compensation costs for stock options is determined at the grant date, measured based on the fair value as calculated using the Black-Scholes-Merton (“BSM”) option-pricing model. The BSM option-pricing model incorporates various assumptions, including expected volatility, estimated option life, and interest rates.

Performance-based share awards. The Company grants performance-based share awards to certain individuals, the vesting of which is contingent on the achievement of Company or individual performance goals. The Company estimates the probable outcome of the performance conditions, based on actual performance against these goals quarterly and adjusts the equity-based compensation expense accordingly. Shares are distributed upon completion of the service and performance periods. Compensation costs for performance-based awards is measured based on the closing fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

The Company recognizes equity-based compensation costs net of estimated forfeitures. The Company estimates forfeiture rates based on historical data. Equity-based compensation costs is recognized over the award’s requisite service period and is included in operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Refer to Note 8 – Equity-Based Compensation for further information.

The Company leases office space, sample production space, warehouses, showrooms, storage units, and retail stores under operating leases. The Company’s portfolio of leases is primarily related to real estate. Since most of its leases do not provide a readily determinable implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate to discount the lease payments based on information available at lease commencement.

Some of the Company’s retail store leases provide for variable lease payments based on sales volumes at the leased locations. Because these variable lease payments cannot be measured at lease inception, they are excluded from the initial

Lease ROU assets and other long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. For stores with impairment indicators, the Company performs a recoverability test, comparing estimated undiscounted cash flows to the carrying value of the related long-lived assets. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated undiscounted cash flows, the assets are written down to fair value. Fair values of the long-lived assets are determined using an income approach, incorporating management’s cash flow projections and market rental rate estimates. Significant estimates are used in determining future cash flows of each store over its remaining lease term, including the Company's expectations of future projected cash flows. An impairment loss is recorded if the carrying amount of the long-lived asset group exceeds its fair value.

The Company's leases have initial terms ranging from 1 to 12 years and may have renewal or early termination options ranging from 1 to 10 years. A majority of the retail store leases provide for contingent rental payments if gross sales exceed certain targets. In addition, many of the leases contain rent escalation clauses to compensate for increases in operating costs and real estate taxes. Rent expense is calculated by amortizing total base rental payments (net of any rental abatements, construction allowances, and other rental concessions), on a straight-line basis, over the lease term. When renewal or termination options are deemed reasonably certain, they are included in the determination of the lease term and calculation of the ROU asset and lease liability.

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280)," which is intended to enhance the disclosures on reportable segments, including disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker and included within segment profit and loss. ASU 2023-07 does not change how entities identify their operating segments, aggregates them, or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine their reportable segments. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 for the year ended December 31, 2024, and applied it retrospectively to all prior periods presented. The adoption of ASU 2023-07 did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements, but it did require increased disclosures within the notes to our consolidated financial statements. Refer to Note 19 – Operating Segment Information for further information.

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-05, "Business Combinations—Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement," which is intended to provide guidance for the formation of a joint venture, including the initial measurement of assets and liabilities, the formation date, and basis of accounting. This new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2023-05; however, at the current time, the Company does not believe this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740)," which is intended to provide greater transparency in various income tax components that affect the rate reconciliation based on the applicable taxing jurisdictions, as well as the qualitative and quantitative aspects of those components. This new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2023-09. The Company does not expect that this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements, but it will require increased income tax disclosures within the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, "Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income -Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40)," which requires disaggregation of certain expense captions into specified categories in disclosures. This new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2024-03. The Company does

not expect that this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements, but it will require increased disclosures within the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

The Company has considered all new accounting pronouncements and has concluded that there are no additional pronouncements that may have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.