Brandwave

Sam Edelman vs Steve Madden:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Steve Madden had more branded searches than Sam Edelman among loafer brands worldwide. Steve Madden had about 33,100 branded searches, while Sam Edelman had 18,100. Steve Madden made up 7.8% of all loafer brand searches we track, and Sam Edelman accounted for 4.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about loafer brands, Steve Madden appeared in one of the five answers and Sam Edelman in none.

Among loafer brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Steve Madden, about 83% more searches than Sam Edelman

Steve Madden 33.1K searchesSam Edelman 18.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Steve Madden, mentioned in 1 of 5 answers, Sam Edelman in 0

Steve Madden in 1 of 5Sam Edelman in 0 of 5

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Top loafer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and 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. Sam Edelman did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. G.H. Bass1st
  2. Meermin2nd
  3. Cole Haan3rd
  4. Gucci4th
  5. Crockett & Jones5th
  6. Steve Madden6th
  7. Tod’s6th
  8. Dr. Martens–
  9. Sebago–
  10. +1 more
  11. Sam Edelman–

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
  • Sam Edelman0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about loafer brands

5 answers

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 Sam Edelman or Steve Madden more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Sam Edelman 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.

Sam Edelman and Steve Madden among loafer brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Steve Madden, Sam Edelman. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthDr. MartensG.H. BassGucciSebagoSteve MaddenTod’sVagabondCole HaanSam EdelmanMeerminCrockett & Jones
Oct 202531.4%17.8%21%5.2%6.3%2.8%3.4%4.2%6.3%1%0.56%
Nov 202531.3%16.6%21%7.7%6.3%2.8%3.4%4.2%5.1%1%0.56%
Dec 202534.2%17.1%18.7%6.9%5.6%2.5%3.1%5.6%4.6%1.1%0.61%
Jan 202631%16.5%20.8%6.2%6.2%2.8%3.4%6.2%5.1%1%0.68%
Feb 202628.4%17.4%19%7%7%3.8%3.8%4.7%7%1.4%0.6%
Mar 202627.5%16.9%18.5%6.8%6.8%5.5%4.5%5.5%5.5%1.7%0.73%
Apr 202623%17.2%18.8%6.9%6.9%5.7%3.8%4.6%10.3%2.1%0.74%
May 202624.3%15.7%19.9%7.3%7.3%6%4.9%4.9%6%2.7%1.2%
Jun 202623.6%15.3%23.6%8.6%4.7%7.1%4.7%5.8%3.2%2.6%0.92%
Jul 202630.1%16%20.1%7.4%4.9%6%3.3%4.9%4%2.2%0.97%
Aug 202628.4%17.4%19.1%8.5%5.7%5.7%3.8%4.7%3.8%2.1%0.75%
Sep 202625.9%19.4%17.4%7.8%7.8%5.2%5.2%4.3%4.3%1.9%0.85%

Steve Madden and Sam Edelman sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “steve madden loafers”.

How has the Sam Edelman 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: Sam Edelman took it in April 2026, Steve Madden took it in May 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sam Edelman’s share of searches among loafer brands worldwide moved from 6.3% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 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

  1. In September 2026, Vagabond overtook Cole Haan and Sam Edelman to rank 7th among loafer brands worldwide, with 5.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Steve Madden gained share of searches among loafer brands worldwide, from 5.7% to 7.8%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Sam Edelman worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 18.1K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sam Edelman’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.

Sam Edelman

1 branded search term

  • sam edelman loafers

Steve Madden

1 branded search term

  • steve madden loafers

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among loafer brands

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