John Eades

John Eades has a diverse work experience in the footwear industry. John is currently the Head of Product at Reef since July 2021. Before that, they served as the Senior Director of Product at Reef from December 2020 to August 2021.

Prior to their time at Reef, from 2018 to 2020, John worked at Roxy as the Global Director - PLM Footwear.

From 2009 to 2018, they were the Co-founder and CEO of Vere Sandal Company, USA.

John has extensive experience at Reef, where they held various roles. From 2007 to 2009, they were the Footwear Product Director, overseeing teams and managing the overall direction and execution of the footwear offering. From 2005 to 2007, they served as the Product Line Manager/Design Manager, responsible for the mens' footwear product mix. And from 2003 to 2005, they were the Design Manager for the mens' design team.

Prior to Reef, John worked at Airwalk as the Design Director from 2000 to 2003, where they managed design teams and designed signature products. John also worked at Tommy Hilfiger as a Senior Designer in 1999, designing athletic and casual footwear.

Before their time at Airwalk and Tommy Hilfiger, John worked at Airwalk International from 1995 to 1999 as a Designer/Senior Designer, designing and developing footwear for multiple lines. John started their career at New Balance in 1994 as a Junior Footwear Designer, assisting in various projects and learning the footwear process.

John Eades attended the Rochester Institute of Technology from 1989 to 1993, where they earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design.