Teva footwear was founded in 1982 by Mark Thatcher. Thatcher was a Grand Canyon River guide and realized that there was no proper footwear for river activities. Thatcher saw this need and created a very basic design for proper river footwear. The design was basically a Velcro strap attached to a basic flip-flop. 
From there, Thatcher was able to create both a brand and a lifestyle. The Teva brand is focused on durability and adventure and the Teva community stands for spontaneous adventure and a new culture has come out of this. If you meet anyone that owns a pair of Teva Originals, an automatic bond has been created and the stereotype that surrounds this footwear allows for great conversations.
In the early 2000s, Teva’s popularity had fallen drastically but, since being bought by Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Teva is back on the rise. With a new marketing campaign focused on the Instagram adventurer, Teva has been able to focus on their target and create even more community than what existed in the early days. Teva’s Instagram posts stories of their various adventures and focuses on spontaneous adventure.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnGtCkJlYZK/
In 1982, Mark Thatcher saw a hole in a very niche market and began to create something great. He also used the need for experience to create and expand his brand. Teva now stands for the adventurer’s experience and is focused on a spontaneous, do anything mentality. This all began with a Grand Canyon River guide searching for a solid pair or “amphibious utility sandals”.
This is very interesting, as I assumed Chaco was the first company to create these types of shoes. I think it is great that they are adjusting their target audience and marketing scheme. I believe that it will work very well for them, especially if they can offer lower prices than Chaco.
This is a great example of simplistic design that builds on something that was already popular. I think creating a community around the unique footwear was a wise branding decision. This creates greater customer loyalty and overall reach. Loyal brand users will most likely tell their friends about Teva or even encourage them to buy a pair.
Observing a need while on the job allows for a lot of percolation for an idea such as this. A great success with his branding focused on adventure.
Combing two pre-existing ideas turned out to be the right decision here, as Teva seems to be doing better than ever with their new marketing campaign. What a great use of the adjacent possible!