REEF: Worn for this.
SU/FA 2023 - Beyond
(work in progress)
At Reef, some may say that I lead Footwear Design with an endearingly rebellious optimism and commitment to crafting authentic products and stories inspired less by trend, and more by the culture and the people who actually live it.
I say, it’s not all barrels, babes and bottle openers… The real excitement comes from capturing relevant moments-in-time, scanning the horizon for long-range storytelling opportunities, and creating things that people love to wear. Reef’s infamously irreverent roots make it easy to create products that authentically communicate who we are, let people express who they are, and create a culture that people want to be a part of… I’m just honored to inspire people to new levels of stoke while wearing their Reefs!
In the work below, I regularly challenged myself and the team to appeal to all the senses, enabling us to truly connect and create a unique product experience that people are excited to wear AND share. In each project, you’ll find thoughtful layers of interest and details that are intentionally untraditional and playfully imperfect, all in an effort to weave a sense of humanity and even humor into something otherwise transactional. TLDR: If we’re going to give them something, let’s make them feel something.
My goal for the Reef team has always been simple: Be authentic. Be unexpected. Take chances. Don’t tiptoe. Engage. Make people smile. AND HAVE FUN!
FANING SHOE:
Charging into the future with legendary inspiration.
Socrates, Pele, Beyonce, Fabio… Fanning.
Mononymous legends.
Paying homage to the Fanning Sandal, I designed the Fanning Shoe to be a new pillar of the product family, but geared toward a new Reef consumer… this new version of The Fanning needed to be both a time capsule and a time machine.
Following design lines, borrowing details, updating technologies, and channeling Reef’s legendary heritage, we were able to design and develop a shoe that speaks to the guy who loves the Fanning sandal for it’s fun “no Fs” attitude, but also gives him the option to continue to be active and stylish away from the water - AND put comfort just as high on his list as a good time!
Fanning: an icon of the brand for over 20 friggin’ years and an opportunity to look into the next 20.
SPRING 2025
Design / Design Direction / Color + Materials
SHORELINE: DEL MAR
Here. There. Every wear.
REEF’s best performing product (units + $)!
Design / Design Direction / Color + Materials
El JEFE
Walking on clouds. Standing on business.
¿Como se dice, “World’s best boss”?
SPRING 2024
Style: there’s a science to it.
Finally, you don’t have to wear shoes that were designed in a boardroom to get the comfort that a CEO expects. We dropped our surf style on top of a thick slice of gravity-defying, nitrogen-infused, supercritical foam to max out the comfort quotient of a laid-back shoe that’s all business. With premium suedes and textiles mixed with versatile colorways and rad bonus details, these zapatos will make you feel like every day is a PTO day.
Design / Design Direction / Color + Materials
Tone and wordmark concepts for Nitrogen foam
Creative Direction / Graphic Design
ONSHORE
Drink ‘em & sink ‘em!
Bros B4 Pros.
When the Blackball flag is flying, it’s time to switch up the sticks, rally the boys, and hit the green. We took all of our favorite things and designed them into a collection of shoes that would take you from breakfast balls to turn dogs, and straight through the 19th hole. Premium materials keep you dry and locked in. A super plush EVA midsole keeps the dogs from barkin’ while you’re walking the course. And a spikeless rubber outsole will keep you standing straight while the bottle opener keeps you “hydrated”. These shoes were built to perform like you were out on the tour, but designed for all the F-you-N that you’ve always wanted to have on the golf course.
Epic example of A+B = ¡Sì!
SPRING 2025
Vibe Check
Creative Direction
Photo edits / Graphic Design
Design / Design Direction / Color + Materials
Palm Golf collab
GLIDER
Something in the water
Design / Design Direction
RAMBLER
Chill-mode slactivated
REEF’s fastest sellout product!
Design / Design Direction / Color + Materials
NEPTUNE
Oh sh!t comfort.
No sh!t style.
REEF’s most successful franchise!
Design
Swellsole Family
M - Swellsole Terramar
M - Swellsole Terramar LE
M - Swellsole Neptune Slip-On
M - Swellsole Navigator
W - Swellsole Neptune
G - Neptune
B - Neptune
M - Swellsole Valle
Creative Approach
Method to the radness.
Out of our minds:
Don’t overcomplicate it… For me, design is less about draftsmanship and more about being open. We’re not just designing a product or crafting a message… we’re here to observe, participate with, and respect the consumer and culture.
Work happens at our desk. Design happens everywhere else. Less time in here (head). More time out there. We keep our eyes, ears and minds open so we can collect as many tiles as possible for the mosaic we’re creating. We keep our tools sharp in order to quickly capture and synthesize information, but when we know what we’re looking for, things usually manage to fall right into place. Most importantly… we never forget to surround ourselves with other people who are interesting, inspiring, and FUN!
