Designer Brands director granted 1,091 stock units

Designer Brands Inc. director John W. Atkinson received a grant of 1,091 stock units, each representing a contingent right to one Class A common share.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Designer Brands Inc. director John W. Atkinson received a grant of 1,091 stock units, each representing a contingent right to one Class A common share. The units reflect dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units, vest at grant, and convert into an equal number of shares upon his termination of service from the Board. Following this award, his directly held stock units total 122,184, including accrued dividend equivalent rights.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 1,091 shares

Grant/Award 1 txn

Insider Atkinson John W.

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Stock Unit F1, F2, F3, F4	1,091	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Unit — 122,184 contracts (Direct)

Footnotes (4)

1. F1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.
2. F2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.
3. F3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.
4. F4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

Key Figures

Stock units granted: 1,091 stock units Total stock units after grant: 122,184 stock units Conversion ratio: 1 stock unit = 1 Class A share

3 metrics

Stock units granted 1,091 stock units Grant of stock units to director John W. Atkinson on 2026-07-08

Total stock units after grant 122,184 stock units Direct holdings of John W. Atkinson following the reported transaction

Conversion ratio 1 stock unit = 1 Class A share Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share

Key Terms

stock unit, dividend equivalent rights, contingent right

3 terms

stock unit financial

"Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share"

dividend equivalent rights financial

"Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units"

Dividend equivalent rights are promises that mirror the cash payments shareholders get from a company’s profits, but they are paid to holders of certain awards (like stock options or restricted stock units) rather than to actual shares. Think of them as a paycheck top‑up that matches dividends while the award is not yet a real stock, and they matter to investors because they add to employee compensation costs and potential share dilution, affecting company profitability and per‑share value.

contingent right financial

"Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share"

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What transaction did Designer Brands (DBI) report for John W. Atkinson?

Designer Brands reported that director John W. Atkinson acquired 1,091 stock units as a grant. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Class A common stock.

How many stock units does John W. Atkinson hold after this Form 4 for DBI?

After the reported grant, John W. Atkinson holds a total of 122,184 stock units directly. This total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights on previously awarded stock units.

What do the stock units in the DBI Form 4 represent for John W. Atkinson?

Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Designer Brands’ Class A common stock. The units vest on the grant date and convert to shares upon his termination of Board service.

Are the 1,091 stock units in the DBI filing tied to dividends?

Yes. The 1,091 stock units represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units. These mirror dividends on underlying shares in stock unit form instead of cash.

When will John W. Atkinson receive DBI Class A shares from these stock units?

The stock units become vested on the grant date and will be converted into an equal number of Class A common shares upon John W. Atkinson’s termination of service from the Board of Directors.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 07/10/2026 - 03:05 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Atkinson John W.

(Last) (First) (Middle)

810 DSW DRIVE

(Street)

COLUMBUS OHIO 43219

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Designer Brands Inc. [ DBI ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/08/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Unit	(1)	07/08/2026		A		1,091(2)		(3)	(3)	Class A Common Shares	1,091	$0.0000	122,184(4)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Class A common stock.

2. Shares represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.

3. The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted to an equal number of shares of Issuer's Class A common stock upon Insider's termination of service from the Board of Directors.

4. Total includes accrued dividend equivalent rights.

	Katherine Alfano, Attorney-in-Fact	07/10/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)