Designer Brands
Designer Brands Inc. is a publicly traded (NYSE: DBI) vertically integrated North American footwear retailer and brand owner, operating 665 DSW, The Shoe Co., and Rubino stores plus a billion-dollar digital commerce platform, with a portfolio of owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Keds, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, and Jessica Simpson distributed through Camuto Group to over 5,400 wholesale doors worldwide.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Designer Brands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Designer Brands
- Legal name
- Designer Brands Inc.
- Website
- https://designerbrands.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Designer Brands Inc. is a publicly traded (NYSE: DBI) vertically integrated North American footwear retailer and brand owner, operating 665 DSW, The Shoe Co., and Rubino stores plus a billion-dollar digital commerce platform, with a portfolio of owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Keds, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, and Jessica Simpson distributed through Camuto Group to over 5,400 wholesale doors worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Designer Brands industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Footwear Retail
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (45821), Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (4582)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Footwear Retail (Dance, Skate, Cleats, Bowling, etc.) (CRAAADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury & Designer Footwear (CRAAACAI), Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC)
Keywords
Where Designer Brands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Designer Brands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail segment sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through DSW, The Shoe Co., Rubino retail stores and e-commerce platforms, representing approximately 88% of total net sales
- Brand Portfolio segment: Sales of owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand, Topo Athletic, Keds, Hush Puppies through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, representing approximately 12% of net sales
- Wholesale distribution: National wholesale distribution of owned brands and private label products for national retailers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail footwear pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Designer Brands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Designer Brands is a vertically integrated footwear and accessories company that designs, produces, and retails footwear across women's, men's, and kids' categories. It operates more than 660 physical stores in North America under the DSW, The Shoe Co., and Rubino banners, complemented by a billion-dollar digital commerce business. Through the Camuto Group design and manufacturing platform, the company manages a portfolio of owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Keds, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, and Lucky Brand, sold through both direct-to-consumer channels and wholesale distribution.
Product overview
Designer Brands operates as a vertically integrated footwear and accessories company with three primary segments: Retail (DSW stores, The Shoe Co., Rubino), Brand Portfolio (owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Keds, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand), and Wholesale/Distribution. The core retail platform is Designer Shoe Warehouse with over 500 stores, complemented by a billion-dollar e-commerce business. The Brand Portfolio segment includes owned brands (Keds, Topo, Crown Vintage, Mix No. 6) and licensed brands (Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand, Hush Puppies) designed and manufactured through Camuto Group. Designer Brands distributes nationally through major retailers while also selling direct-to-consumer through its own stores and digital commerce platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vince Camuto: Luxury footwear and accessories brand
- Keds
- Topo Athletic
- Jessica Simpson
- Lucky Brand
- Hush Puppies
- Kelly & Katie
- Mix No. 6
- Crown Vintage
- Louise et Cie
- the shoe co
Products and services
- DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse The primary retail banner of Designer Brands, operating 519 stores across North America as of Q1 2026. DSW offers a wide selection of footwear and accessories from national brands and owned brands through an omnichannel retail model with e-commerce capabilities. Aimed at general consumers seeking a broad assortment of women's, men's, and kids' footwear.
- The Shoe Co. Value-focused footwear retail concept operated by Designer Brands Canada with 118 stores in North America. The Shoe Co. offers affordable footwear and accessories targeting budget-conscious consumers.
- Rubino Footwear retail banner under Designer Brands with 28 stores in North America as of Q1 2026, offering footwear and accessories alongside the DSW and The Shoe Co. banners.
- DSW Digital Commerce Billion-dollar digital commerce business operating across multiple domains including dsw.com. The e-commerce platform enables direct-to-consumer sales and supports omnichannel capabilities including buy-online-pick-up-in-store and ship-from-store.
- Camuto Group Design and manufacturing platform of Designer Brands, operating as a leading footwear manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 stores worldwide. Camuto Group owns licensing rights for Jessica Simpson footwear and Lucky Brand footwear and handbags.
- Vince Camuto Premium footwear and accessories brand owned through a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group. The brand offers contemporary women's shoes and accessories sold through DSW stores and wholesale channels.
- Keds Iconic American casual footwear brand acquired from Wolverine Worldwide in 2023. Keds specializes in canvas sneakers and casual shoes for women, men, and children, extending Designer Brands' portfolio into casual and athleisure footwear.
- Topo Athletic Performance athletic footwear brand focused on functional running and fitness shoes. Topo Athletic has shown strong growth within the Brand Portfolio segment, with consistent double-digit sales increases.
- Hush Puppies Comfort-focused casual footwear brand for which Designer Brands holds exclusive North American licensing rights across all channels. Hush Puppies offers slippers, casual shoes, and business casual footwear.
- Jessica Simpson Footwear Women's fashion footwear brand licensed through Camuto Group. Jessica Simpson footwear offers trend-driven styles and has demonstrated strong growth within the Brand Portfolio segment.
- Lucky Brand Footwear Casual footwear brand licensed through Camuto Group, offering bohemian-inspired shoes and accessories. Lucky Brand footwear is sold through DSW and other retail partners.
- National Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of owned and licensed brand products to national retailers and international distributors, leveraging the Camuto Group design and manufacturing platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered full-year adjusted operating profit of $65.2 million, significantly above guidance range of $50-55 million
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Designer Brands
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Designer Brands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Designer Brands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wolverine WorldwidecoreAcquired Keds footwear brand from Wolverine Worldwide and expanded licensing agreement for Hush Puppies in North America, extending Designer Brands' portfolio into casual and athleisure footwear including the kids segment.
- Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC)coreDesigner Brands invested $2 million in JEMS by PENSOLE, the first Black-owned footwear factory in the United States, producing shoes designed by PLC graduate students to be sold exclusively at DSW. Partnership aims to increase diversity in the footwear industry.
- Soles4SoulsminorCharitable partnership donating footwear to those in need. Designer Brands has donated more than thirteen million pairs of shoes to the global non-profit Soles4Souls since 2018.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Designer Brands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Foot Locker: Multi-banner North American footwear retailer (Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Kids Foot Locker). Directly comparable to DSW as a specialty footwear chain serving similar consumers with national brand assortments and a digital + store omni-channel model.
- Caleres: Operator of Famous Footwear plus an owned-brand portfolio (Sam Edelman, Vince Camuto prior to J venture). Closest structural peer combining specialty footwear retail with a brand design and wholesale business, mirroring Designer Brands' Retail + Brand Portfolio dual model.
- Genesco: Footwear-focused retailer operating Journeys, Schuh, and Johnston & Murphy, with a wholesale/licensing brand portfolio. Comparable as a specialty footwear retailer with a complementary owned-brand and licensing platform.
- Wolverine World Wide: Footwear brand operator and licensor of Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, Keds (pre-2023) and Hush Puppies. Highly comparable business model combining owned/licensed brands with wholesale distribution; Designer Brands acquired Keds from Wolverine in 2023.
Broad incumbents
- Skechers: Global branded footwear company with broad casual, athletic, and comfort lines distributed through wholesale plus growing direct retail. Overlaps with Designer Brands' comfort/casual categories (Hush Puppies, Keds) and competes for similar mid-market consumers.
- Deckers Outdoor: Premium footwear brand operator (UGG, HOKA, Teva). Comparable as a branded footwear company with growing direct-to-consumer focus; competes at the higher price points that overlap with Designer Brands' Vince Camuto and Jessica Simpson lines.
- Dick's Sporting Goods: Large-format sporting goods retailer carrying athletic footwear from Nike, Adidas, Brooks and emerging performance brands. Comparable on the athletic footwear retail side and a key channel for Topo Athletic; broader assortment outside footwear.
- Nike: Global athletic footwear and apparel brand sold through DSW, Foot Locker and other retailers. Major supplier to Designer Brands' retail floor and a competitive reference point for the brand portfolio's athletic exposure (Topo Athletic).
- Macy's: Department store chain that carries multiple Designer Brands-owned labels (Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand) and competes for family footwear and apparel spend. Comparable as a multi-category omni-channel retailer with significant footwear adjacencies.
Emerging players
- American Eagle Outfitters: Specialty apparel and footwear retailer (American Eagle, Aerie, OFFLINE by Aerie) targeting young adults. Adjacent peer that overlaps with Designer Brands' casual footwear and back-to-school categories for the women's and kids segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Designer Brands social profiles
Digital presenceDesigner Brands compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Designer Brands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Designer Brands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Designer Brands subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Designer Brands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Designer Brands M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Designer Brands
What does Designer Brands do?
Designer Brands is a vertically integrated footwear and accessories company that designs, produces, and retails footwear across women's, men's, and kids' categories. It operates more than 660 physical stores in North America under the DSW, The Shoe Co., and Rubino banners, complemented by a billion-dollar digital commerce business. Through the Camuto Group design and manufacturing platform, the company manages a portfolio of owned and licensed brands including Vince Camuto, Keds, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, and Lucky Brand, sold through both direct-to-consumer channels and wholesale distribution.
Is Designer Brands a public or private company?
Designer Brands is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Designer Brands founded?
Designer Brands was founded in 1991. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Designer Brands based?
Designer Brands is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Designer Brands make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail segment sales are the primary driver. The others are brand Portfolio segment and wholesale distribution.
Who are Designer Brands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Foot Locker, Caleres, Genesco and Wolverine World Wide. Broad incumbents are Skechers, Deckers Outdoor, Dick's Sporting Goods, Nike and Macy's. American Eagle Outfitters is listed as an emerging player.
Does Designer Brands have an API?
No public API is recorded for Designer Brands.
What industry is Designer Brands in?
Designer Brands's product category is Footwear Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAADAJ, Specialty Footwear Retail (Dance, Skate, Cleats, Bowling, etc.), with a secondary code of CRAAACAI, Luxury & Designer Footwear. Its NAICS code is 45821 and its SIC code is 5661.