I liked the brand, but after reading I like him as a person, facing addiction, he was incredibly honest about his flaws. I think there is still a lot of stigma around neurodiversity, and this showed all sides of having adhd.

THE COBBLER
STEVE MADDEN



I must admit that the cover art drew me at first to this biography. The name Steve Madden was unknown to me but the cover was interesting. I'm happy I pushed through. The honesty and candor spread across its pages makes this a great read. We all wear shoes but who knew there was so much to a shoe and the industry was so broad! The depth Mr. Madden takes us into his life is seldom seen and the interesting workings of an industry not well publicized is a worth the time.

I have received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Spencer Birt

The Cobbler is a rags to riches story, one filled with a household name for many ....Steve Madden. I had no idea about his alcoholism, prison time and well, his life in general, but I'm glad I do now. He is a driven man and holds more humanity than most would think. Glad I read this!

Growing up as a child in the 1990s I was a little young for the original Steve Madden craze, but I do remember the big head ads and envying the teenagers who wore the brand so well. It was interesting to read about the evolution of his brand and the influence he had over the shoe industry. Madden outlined the ups and downs of his life and provided an uplifting perspective on even his darkest moments. He honestly reflected on the struggles of sobriety and his sobriety journey. The overall tone was of a feel good story and I appreciated Madden’s positive perspective.

Growing up, I was deeply in love with the brand Steve Madden. I loved basically everything about it. Even when people would side eye me and judge me for wanting pair after pair, outside of the most simple of platforms.

I never really took the time to look into the history of the company, or the person. This 2nd edition of The Cobbler was full of details and a journey I had no idea existed. It left me stunned, but also appreciative of someone who took the time to write down everything: the good, the bad, the in-between, and unfortunately, the ugly.

I’ve always been someone who has flitted from job to job, hobby to hobby, moment in life to moment in life, but as I’m in my mid-thirties, I wondered if I had lost my opportunity to truly live and get back on track.

I honestly wasn’t expecting this memoir by my favourite shoe designer/company owner to remind me that even when you’ve hit rock bottom, you still have a chance to move forward.

I’d give this more than 5 stars if I could. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Steve Madden for the opportunity to read this.

I went into this book knowing nothing about Steve Madden other than I've worn his shoes and bags before. I was fascinated with his former life and how he succeeded against all the odds into such a successful businessman. It was a true example of "it doesn't matter where you came from" and a really uplifting book. I'd recommend to anyone struggling with similar issues or needing a little bit of motivation.

What a great updated memoir from fashion icon Steve Madden. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for the purpose of this review. Five stars for me! I really like Madden’s style of telling his story and how he gets his thoughts right out there on the page. I was sucked in and intrigued by his beginnings and family life. I applaud him for how he deals with addiction and prison time. He keeps evolving. Great book!

I was a little too young to witness Steve Madden’s initial rise to fame and over the years, his brand never really ended up on my radar - until the Wolf of Wall Street.

I admit, that connection lured to the book - in addition to the eye catching cover - but I ended up enjoying a fascinating story about some of fashions biggest trends, in addition to relatable insight about ADHD and sobriety.

It’s a memoir but spans a few different industries in a way - finance bros will enjoy the Wall Street anecdotes, fashionistas will obviously take in interest in how the Mary Lou and the Slinky came about etc and anyone who’s ever experienced addiction and mental health issues will find something relatable and insightful in the book.

I must admit, it was a little bit of a slow burner but I found by the time I got to Steve’s recollections about his time in prison and how he’s hired people he did time with since their release, I couldn’t put the book down.

A fascinating look into the life of Steve Madden. I thought I knew about the man behind the fabulous shoes and bags I’ve come to love, but reading the journey of Steve Madden sheds an interesting light into the glamorous life of upscale fashion, not to mention Steve’s battle with addiction and his time in jail. Overall I enjoyed this book thoroughly

Is Steve Madden a likable guy? Possibly. Does he exhibit many of the problematic characteristics of hustle culture and CEO-world mentality? Completely. Is this still a fascinating read? 100%. Even if you aren't in the fashion world, could care less about shoe designs, and somehow have never heard of Steve Madden, you will find this book interesting. Madden captures the frenetic energy he imbibes into his business and transfers it into this book perfectly. It's a wild romp through drug addiction, startup culture, narcissism, prison time, Wall Street shenanigans, corporate takeovers, and so much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to The Cobbler in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I saw this book I was excited to read it. I was glad to get an ARC and it didn’t disappoint. I knew Steve Madden made shoes but not much else about him beyond that. He goes into depth about everything and I was surprised how much I was unaware of about him and his company. It was an eye opening read that gave me an appreciation for his hard work and talent. This book is a must read for anyone interested in how companies launch and grow. Also a deeper look into Steve Madden’s life and how he handled his family and struggles. A great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This was such an interesting book! I knew virtually nothing about Steve Madden, other than I have worn his shoes my entire life and that tiny part about him on Wolf of Wall Street. I deeply enjoyed learning about how he got started, driving around selling shoes out of a car trunk, and how he grew his company. It was interesting to hear about his time in prison, and learning how African Americans have been disproportionately impacted. Thank you NG for this copy!

I enjoyed reading Steve Madden's memoir. He went through a lot but somehow managed to achieve a successful life. The book is written in good and easy to read language. However in my opinion it was an unnecessary rush at the end. Basically the book finishes in 2012, 2014 when he split with Wendy is mentioned briefly, year 2019 was mentioned also for a moment and the last chapter was dedicated to Covid lockdown. It gives nearly 7-9 years gap, hence 4 star review.

I didn't know what to expect from this book as I hadn't heard of this shoe empire. But Steve's story really gave me hope... this guy who suffered terrible addictions and made really bad business decisions found his groove as a shoe entrepreneur and no matter how bad things got, the pull of his talent kept him going. As someone once said "One mans story is every man's story." Or could be. While i may not read this book twice, its honesty is its strength. Worth reading if you are struggling to fulfill your purpose.

Omg from the Mary Lou, to the Jill, to the Slinky....Steve Madden shoes were my obsession in the 90s!!! So when I saw this book I had to read it! And boy did I have no clue about who Steve Madden was.
As mentioned in his story, the absence of his face in relation to the brand really eliminates the idea from your head that Steve Madden is a real man behind that brand.
He does a great job discussing his struggle with ADHD, relationship/business drama with Jordan Belfort, drug addiction, and jail stint, remaining extremely likeable.
It was a quick and easy read with a happy ending! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it not only to those who like the shoes, but those who like The Wolf of Wall Street.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.