Cole Haan vs Steve Madden:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Steve Madden had more branded searches than Cole Haan among loafer brands worldwide. Steve Madden had about 33,100 branded searches, while Cole Haan had 18,100. Steve Madden made up 7.8% of all loafer brand searches we track, and Cole Haan accounted for 4.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about loafer brands, Cole Haan appeared in three of the five answers and Steve Madden in one. Cole Haan was mentioned before Steve Madden in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Steve Madden, about 83% more searches than Cole Haan
Who does AI mention more?
Cole Haan, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Steve Madden in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Cole Haan, named ahead of Steve Madden in 3 of 4 answers
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Top loafer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cole Haan was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Steve Madden was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Cole Haan was listed before Steve Madden in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
G.H. Bass1st
Meermin2nd- Cole Haan3rd
Gucci4th
Crockett & Jones5th- Steve Madden6th
Tod’s6th
Dr. Martens–
Sebago–
Vagabond–- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- G.H. Bass5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Gucci3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cole Haan3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Meermin3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Steve Madden1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tod’s1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Crockett & Jones1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Dr. Martens0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sebago0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Vagabond0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about loafer brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which loafer brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best loafer brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best loafer brand for wearing to the office?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“loafers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“womens loafers”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 25, 2026.
Is Cole Haan or Steve Madden more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cole Haan and Steve Madden by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 loafer brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Steve Madden, Cole Haan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Dr. Martens | G.H. Bass | Gucci | Sebago | Steve Madden | Tod’s | Vagabond | Cole Haan | Sam Edelman | Meermin | Crockett & Jones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 31.4% | 17.8% | 21% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 1% | 0.56% |
| Nov 2025 | 31.3% | 16.6% | 21% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 1% | 0.56% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.2% | 17.1% | 18.7% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1.1% | 0.61% |
| Jan 2026 | 31% | 16.5% | 20.8% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 1% | 0.68% |
| Feb 2026 | 28.4% | 17.4% | 19% | 7% | 7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 7% | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.5% | 16.9% | 18.5% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1.7% | 0.73% |
| Apr 2026 | 23% | 17.2% | 18.8% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 10.3% | 2.1% | 0.74% |
| May 2026 | 24.3% | 15.7% | 19.9% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 6% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.6% | 15.3% | 23.6% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.92% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.1% | 16% | 20.1% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 6% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.2% | 0.97% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.4% | 17.4% | 19.1% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 0.75% |
| Sep 2026 | 25.9% | 19.4% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1.9% | 0.85% |
Steve Madden sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “steve madden loafers”.
How has the Cole Haan and Steve Madden comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Cole Haan took it in June 2026, Steve Madden took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cole Haan’s share of searches among loafer brands worldwide moved from 4.2% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Steve Madden’s share of searches among loafer brands worldwide moved from 6.3% to 7.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for loafer brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Vagabond overtook Cole Haan and Sam Edelman to rank 7th among loafer brands worldwide, with 5.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Steve Madden gained share of searches among loafer brands worldwide, from 5.7% to 7.8%.
Cole Haan’s share of searches among loafer brands worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 5.8% to 4.3% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cole Haan’s and Steve Madden’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cole Haan
1 branded search term
- cole haan loafers
Steve Madden
1 branded search term
- steve madden loafers
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