Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Steven Madden (NASDAQ: SHOO) and its peers.

The Consumer Discretionary sector, by definition, is made up of companies selling non-essential goods and services. When economic conditions deteriorate or tastes shift, consumers can easily cut back or eliminate these purchases. For long-term investors with five-year holding periods, this creates a structural challenge: the sector is inherently hit-driven, with low switching costs and fickle customers. As a result, only a handful of companies can reliably grow demand and compound earnings over long periods, which is why our bar is high and High Quality ratings are rare. Footwear companies design, manufacture, and market shoes across athletic, casual, and luxury segments. Tailwinds include the global athleisure trend, growing health and fitness awareness driving sneaker demand, and expanding direct-to-consumer digital channels that improve brand control and margins. However, headwinds are notable: the industry faces intense competition and brand-switching behavior, heavy marketing spend requirements to maintain relevance, and exposure to volatile raw material and freight costs. Tariff risk from concentrated overseas manufacturing, primarily in Asia, remains a persistent concern. Additionally, inventory management is challenging given seasonal and trend-driven demand, with markdowns eroding profitability when styles miss consumer expectations.

The 6 consumer discretionary - footwear stocks we track reported a very strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 7.7% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q4: Steven Madden (NASDAQ: SHOO)

As seen in the infamous Wolf of Wall Street movie, Steven Madden (NASDAQ: SHOO) is a fashion brand famous for its trendy and innovative footwear, appealing to a young and style-conscious audience.

Steven Madden reported revenues of $753.7 million, up 29.4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

Edward Rosenfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased to have delivered above‑guidance earnings results for the fourth quarter, driven by improved performance in our core Steve Madden footwear business as well as a strong contribution from the newly acquired Kurt Geiger. Looking to 2026, we are encouraged by the momentum building in our flagship Steve Madden brand and the opportunity for growth in Kurt Geiger London. That said, we expect pressure on our private label business as well as higher SG&A driven by the normalization of incentive compensation and the restoration of senior executive salaries. While we continue to face uncertainty related to tariffs, the fundamentals of our business are strong. Our product assortments and marketing campaigns are resonating with consumers, our brands are powerful and gaining relevance, and we have a sound strategy for long‑term value creation with multiple levers for growth.”

Steven Madden achieved the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 18.6% since reporting and currently trades at $31.73.

Is now the time to buy Steven Madden? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Nike (NYSE: NKE)

Originally selling Japanese Onitsuka Tiger sneakers as Blue Ribbon Sports, Nike (NYSE: NKE) is a global titan in athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories.

Nike reported revenues of $12.43 billion, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 18.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $53.43.

Is now the time to buy Nike? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Wolverine Worldwide (NYSE: WWW)

Founded in 1883, Wolverine Worldwide (NYSE: WWW) is a global footwear company with a diverse portfolio of brands including Merrell, Hush Puppies, and Saucony.

Wolverine Worldwide reported revenues of $517.5 million, up 4.6% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. It may have had the worst quarter among its peers, but its results were still good as it also locked in full-year EPS guidance beating analysts’ expectations and a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 7.9% since the results and currently trades at $16.61.

Read our full analysis of Wolverine Worldwide’s results here.

Deckers (NYSE: DECK)

Established in 1973, Deckers (NYSE: DECK) is a footwear and apparel conglomerate with a portfolio of lifestyle and performance brands.

Deckers reported revenues of $1.96 billion, up 7.1% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 4.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Deckers delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat but had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 4.7% since reporting and currently trades at $104.59.

Read our full, actionable report on Deckers here, it’s free.

Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX)

Founded in 2002, Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) sells casual footwear and is known for its iconic clog shoe.

Crocs reported revenues of $957.6 million, down 3.2% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Crocs had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $77.88.

Read our full, actionable report on Crocs here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.