It seems like the news about Donald Trump’s tariffs is never-ending, and so are the stories of real-life Americans whose wallets are hurting because of them.
One of the retail sectors being hit the hardest is the fashion industry because of how much it relies on overseas materials sourcing, manufacturing, and importing. So, perhaps no one is better poised to speak on the actual impact of Trump’s tariffs than shoe designer and eponymous company founder Steve Madden.
Madden recently appeared as a guest on the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor, hosted by designer Recho Omondi. A now-viral clip from their conversation has garnered 4.5+ million views and over 5,000 comments, largely praising his expert criticism of Trump’s tariffs.
@omndi / Instagram / Via Instagram: @omndi
At the beginning of the clip, Madden is finishing up a phone call. After he hangs up, the host asks, “But what’s the drama, though?” He responds, “The tariffs.” Omondi replies, “Oh, so the shoes are getting pricier.” Madden says, “Shoes are going up. You can thank your government for that.”
After some light-hearted banter placing the blame on each other for Trump’s election (“I didn’t vote for him!” Omondi says), Madden says, “They fundamentally do not understand what they’re doing.”
He then dives into the reality of US commerce with China in a way we don’t hear explained often. “The notion is we’ve lost jobs to China, and we have. But we’ve picked up other jobs that we would not have had ?” better jobs, many better jobs ?” as a result of our relationship with China,” he says. “Many more than we would have if they were in a factory making socks.
Madden goes on to tie the tariff conversation into another area of timely political discourse. “And at the same time, they’re deporting the people that would fucking do it anyway.
“And we are the people that create commerce. The Apples, the Steve Maddens, the Uggs, the Ralph Laurens. We create the economy, and they’re destroying it,” he concludes.
People were so for this level-headed read on how tariffs will actually hurt business. “You know what, Steve Madden shoes are not THAT uncomfortable,” this person joked.
Other people were laughing about Madden’s seemingly obvious political leanings.
“This is the best PR steve madden has ever done for his brand,” someone wrote.
Actually, that was basically the consensus.
And this person summed it all up pretty perfectly.
