UK LTD (located in the UK) Deckers France II Deckers France SAS Teva Geophysicist Mark Thatcher invented Teva (, pronounced "teh-vah" not "tee-vah," Hebrew 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 flip-flops would slide off feet very easily. Thatcher added a nylon ankle strap to a traditional thong-style sandal, thus creating the first sports sandal. Thatcher patented his invention and signed an agreement with the shoemaker California Pacific to manufacture the shoes, while he marketed the "amphibious utility sandals" as their salesman, selling 200 pairs the first year. Although it was effective water sports footwear, it proved less effective for regular sports, as the first Teva users often complained of blisters between the first and second toes caused by the thong-style strapping system. However, in 1984 a sudden high demand of Teva sandals arose as young Americans found the sandal fashionable. California Pacific then claimed rights over the Teva name and patent, stating that Thatcher was merely an employee of their company. Thatcher sued California Pacific and won his case the following year, severing links with California Pacific. He then started the Tevas company in Flagstaff, Arizona. In late 1985, Thatcher set up an exclusive licensing agreement with Deckers Corporation to manufacture and distribute Teva sandals. Deckers eventually obtained exclusive rights to Teva, including US patent #4,793,075 for the basic design and a trademark for the brand name. The sandal was redesigned, creating the Universal Strapping System. The first model, called "Hurricane", is the basis of all Teva sandals. On November 25, 2002, Deckers Outdoor Cooperation acquired the worldwide Teva patents, trademarks, and other assets from Mark Thatcher. Teva sandals are currently manufactured in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Construction The basic model consists of a two-layer sole: The inner sole is softer and serves as the footbed, and most of the models come with arch support and Microban Zinc, a technology that reduces odor and kills bacteria. The outer sole is harder and is formulated to have a good grip on wet surfaces. The Universal Strapping System consists of three parts: The toe post: a strap that goes on the front of the sandal, across the toes and between the inner and outer sole. The heel strap: Goes around the ankle to prevent the