Sam Edelman has inked four new licensing deals in order to expand all three of its brands – Sam Edelman, Circus NY by Sam Edelman and Sam & Libby – into new lifestyle categories.
According to the Caleres-owned footwear brand, the new licensing partners include HB Connections (handbags), Esquire Brands (kids’ shoes), Gina Group (hosiery), and My Step Global (slippers).
These licensees will join the brand’s existing portfolio of partners, S. Rothschild (dresses and outerwear), One Jeanswear Group (denim and ready-to-wear), and Randa Apparel and Accessories (belts), the company noted.
Jesse Edelman, senior vice president and general manager of Sam Edelman, said in a statement that the addition of four new licensees is another growth milestone for the brand, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “We’re confident in our partners’ abilities to bring our passion for our consumer to life across four new categories,” Edelman said.
Looking at each deal closer, HB Connections will launch handbags for Sam Edelman and Sam & Libby this fall. Additionally, Sam Edelman will launch a new collection of kids’ footwear licensed by Esquire Brands, hosiery licensed by Gina Group, and slippers licensed by My Step Global. Kids’ footwear and hosiery will be available this spring and slippers available this fall.
“As we step into handbags, kids’ footwear, hosiery and slippers, it allows us to better meet the demands of our diverse and evolving consumer as a complete lifestyle brand dressing her from head to toe,” Edelman added.
These new licenses mark a pivotal moment for the Sam Edelman brand.
At Caleres’ Investor Day in October, the company said it would be relaunching its Sam & Libby brand at Famous Footwear and select retailers nationwide starting in March. The new brand will focus on selling to shoe chain retail stores and will exit mass market, the company noted.
The Sam Edelman brand is also ripe for international expansion. During October’s event, executives noted that the brand has grown overseas “significantly” since 2019, with international sales at the label expected to increase 30 percent year-over-year in 2023, with an additional 15 percent growth in the segment in 2024.
As of now, the label is sold in 33 countries, with over 10 additional regions expected to open by 2026. One of the more successful international markets for Sam Edelman is China, where the brand currently has 55 stores and has further plans to have 150 in the next few years. “We’ve also opened in Israel, Mexico City and many other places across the world,” Edelman said at the time. “A freestanding store is also coming to Dubai. I believe that the global expansion of Sam Edelman is huge.”
