The name Teva (pronounced TEH-vah, meaning “nature” in Hebrew) commonly refers to two completely separate, well-known global entities: What it is: A popular footwear brand famous for inventing the world’s first sport sandal. Origin: Created in 1984 in the Grand Canyon by a river guide named Mark Thatcher, who strapped two Velcro wristwatch bands onto a pair of flip-flops to keep them from floating away. Ownership: Owned by Deckers Brands (an American footwear corporation that also owns UGG and HOKA).