Mark Thatcher was the inventor of Teva (pronounced "teh-vah" not "tee-vah"[3][4], and comes from the hebrew word for "nature"). While working as a rafting guide in 1982 he noticed the lack of proper shoes for river activities. Sneakers would become heavy when wet and would take days to dry and thongs would slide off feet very easily.
Thatcher fashioned a thong-style sandal with nylon ankle strapping, thus creating the first sport sandal. On November 25, 2002, Deckers acquired the worldwide Teva patents, trademarks and other assets from Mark Thatcher. After this transfer, Teva continued to grow under the supervision of the Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NASDAQ: DECK) is a footwear manufacturer based in Goleta, California, United States. It began in 1973 as a sandal producer, run by Doug Otto.[1] Deckers currently manufactures six brands, Teva, UGG Australia, Simple Shoes, Sanuk, Tsubo, Ahnu and Mozo.[2]