Shoe Design
What was the first shoe you ever designed?
It was a moccasin. It was just a plain old moccasin. It was a take off on a mini moccasin. It was just our own and then the first shoe for Steve Madden was a western clog. Yeah it was something I knew we could make money in. Western was in. We got it out on the street and it worked.
Do you actually still design shoes?
I design some other shoes. I have the whole team but I'm still very much involved.
Do you have a celebrity muse in mind when you design shoes?
I don't have a celebrity muse, but I do have muses. I've always had them, and they are just regular women, and could be women that work in the office. That's the kind of thing that I get off on. I am more interested in being on a street corner in Manhattan and seeing someone wear my shoes. We had plenty of celebrities wear the shoes, and we still do. We always have, but that's not really my focus.
What makes a shoe sexy?
Sexy doesn't have to be a high heel, it could be a flat. It's the attitude of the woman that's wearing it.
Who are your favorite designers?
Steven Jobs, and there are some clothing guys that I admire. I guess you can't help but admire the empire that Ralph Lauren has built. Very clever to take that whole 'America' thing. And, you know, I worked with Gucci shoes every once in a while. So, they are cool.
When did you decide to design men's shoes?
About 1998. Mostly for the money. I have an insatiable appetite for money. No, it's a joke. But it was for money, don't get it twisted. But we felt there was a market that needed something cool, so we did it.
What do you expect when you create a new shoe?
I'm very much like a pop singer or a pop song writer, in the sense of we're looking to make hits, looking to make a shoe that everybody would want to wear. That's what I like.
What makes a shoe worth 400?
