MADE TO LAST — Sean O’Shea & Geoff Deas In this episode of Made to Last, we sit down with Sean O’Shea and Geoff Deas to talk about their unconventional paths through footwear design, their years working together, and how 3D printing has transformed the way they create product. Sean’s journey began in Maine, where he played basketball while studying art. After being introduced to product and footwear design, he landed internships at New Balance and Reebok, where he met E. Scott. From there, Sean went on to work with Converse, adidas, Nike, Tommy, Guess and Puma. Geoff’s path began at a consultancy in Lawrence, Massachusetts, working with New Balance before reconnecting with Sean at GBMI in Santa Barbara. Their careers continued to intersect at AND1, K-Swiss and eventually ANTA, where they both joined the brand and helped lead its Southern California design operation. Working remotely from California created a unique challenge. They were competing for attention with designers in China who were only an hour away from the factories, while the Southern California team had limited development resources. They needed a way to move faster and make their ideas feel more tangible. 3D printing became that weapon. What began as an unfamiliar technology quickly became a powerful creative tool—allowing them to visualize, prototype and iterate at a speed that traditional footwear development couldn't match. That technology became especially important when ANTA's CEO tasked the team with pursuing Kyrie Irving. With Nike-level expectations but a fraction of the resources, Sean and Geoff used 3D to demonstrate the creative potential of what ANTA could offer. The work helped give Kyrie a reason to take the brand seriously—and ultimately helped ANTA earn the opportunity to work with him. Now, after a brief stint at Off White, they've taken that experience into their own venture, Odd Labs (formerly Overdose Footwear). FOLLOW @odd_footwear on Instagram Odd Labs operates as an incubation platform for athletes and entertainers interested in building footwear. With 3D printing, ideas can move from sketches to physical product without the traditional costs and timelines associated with footwear development. As Sean puts it: “As fast as we can draw, we can get shoes to people.” The concept goes beyond simply making shoes. Odd Labs functions as a kind of “sneaker university”—giving athletes and entertainers the opportunity to develop, test and prove their value in the marketplace before making the leap to a full signature product. That approach has already led to partnerships with Baron Davis and Jaylen Brown, with retail and production expertise supported by Zellerfeld. And after years of building a career around footwear, design, and innovation, Sean sees Odd Labs Footwear as his own version of making it to the NBA— a level of impact and creative freedom he always wanted. Along with Geoff, they’re creating a platform where athletes can explore their ideas, develop product, and build something of their own. FOLLOW @odd_footwear on Instagram FOLLOW @madetolastpod @FCTRYLab @theomarbailey @DuaneALawrence on Instagram #sneakerbusiness ##MadeToLast #FootwearDesign #SeanOShea #GeoffDeas #OverdoseFootwear #3DPrinting #FootwearInnovation #SneakerCulture #AthleteInnovation #ProductDesign #OddLabs
