Designer Brands director granted shares and stock units

Designer Brands Inc. director Harvey L. Sonnenberg reported compensation-related equity awards.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Designer Brands Inc. director Harvey L. Sonnenberg reported compensation-related equity awards. On July 8, 2026, he received 239 Class A common shares at no cost, increasing his directly held Class A stake to 52,314 shares. He was also granted 607 stock units, each representing a contingent right to receive one Class A share, bringing his total directly held stock units to 68,204. The filing notes that some shares and units represent dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units, and that the new stock units vest on the grant date and will convert into an equal number of Class A shares upon his termination of service from the Board of Directors.

Insights

Equity Compensation Analyst

Routine director equity awards increase Sonnenberg’s alignment with Designer Brands shareholders.

Director Harvey L. Sonnenberg received equity in the form of 239 Class A shares and 607 stock units as part of his board compensation. These awards carry a transaction price of $0.0000 per share, indicating they are non-cash grants rather than market purchases.

The stock units, totaling 68,204 after this grant, vest immediately but convert into Class A shares only upon his termination of board service. Footnotes explain that each stock unit represents a contingent right to one share and that both shares and units include accrued dividend equivalent rights on prior awards, which modestly increase his economic exposure to the company over time.

Post-grant, Sonnenberg holds 52,314 Class A shares directly, alongside his stock unit balance. The absence of sales or tax-withholding transactions in this report suggests this is a straightforward compensation event, not a market signal about his view of the stock.

Insider Trade Summary

Grant/Award: 846 shares

Grant/Award 2 txns

Insider SONNENBERG HARVEY L

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Stock Unit F1, F2, F3, F4	607	$0.00	$0.00
Grant/Award	Class A Common Shares	239	$0.00	$0.00

Holdings After Transaction: Stock Unit — 68,204 contracts (Direct); Class A Common Shares — 52,314 shares (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

Class A shares granted: 239 Class A common shares Class A shares held after grant: 52,314 Class A common shares Stock units granted: 607 stock units +2 more

5 metrics

Class A shares granted 239 Class A common shares Non-derivative grant on July 8, 2026 at $0.0000 per share

Class A shares held after grant 52,314 Class A common shares Total direct non-derivative holdings following the July 8, 2026 transaction

Stock units granted 607 stock units Derivative grant on July 8, 2026 at $0.0000 per unit, each for one Class A share

Stock units held after grant 68,204 stock units Total direct derivative holdings following the July 8, 2026 transaction

Transaction price per share $0.0000 Price per Class A share and stock unit for the July 8, 2026 grants

Key Terms

stock unit, dividend equivalent rights, contingent right

3 terms

stock unit financial

"The stock unit becomes vested upon the date of grant and will be converted"

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 equity did Harvey L. Sonnenberg receive in Designer Brands (DBI) on July 8, 2026?

Harvey L. Sonnenberg received 239 Class A common shares and 607 stock units in Designer Brands Inc. on July 8, 2026, both granted at $0.0000 per share as director compensation.

How many Designer Brands (DBI) Class A shares does Harvey L. Sonnenberg hold after this Form 4?

After the reported grant, Harvey L. Sonnenberg directly holds 52,314 Class A common shares of Designer Brands Inc., including shares representing dividend equivalent rights accrued on previously awarded stock units.

What is the total stock unit balance for Harvey L. Sonnenberg in DBI after this transaction?

Following the grant of 607 stock units, Harvey L. Sonnenberg’s total directly held stock units in Designer Brands Inc. increased to 68,204, with the total including accrued dividend equivalent rights from prior awards.

How do the Designer Brands (DBI) stock units granted to Harvey L. Sonnenberg vest and settle?

The newly granted stock units vest on the grant date and will convert into an equal number of Class A common shares of Designer Brands Inc. upon Harvey L. Sonnenberg’s termination of service from the Board of Directors.

What are dividend equivalent rights mentioned in Harvey L. Sonnenberg’s DBI Form 4?

Dividend equivalent rights are amounts that accrue on stock units as if dividends were paid on underlying shares. In this DBI filing, some reported shares and stock units represent such accrued dividend equivalent rights on previously awarded stock units.

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

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 07/10/2026 - 03:04 PM 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^*

SONNENBERG HARVEY L

(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
Class A Common Shares	07/08/2026		A		239	A	$0.0000	52,314	D

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		607(2)		(3)	(3)	Class A Common Shares	607	$0.0000	68,204(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)