The Real Reason Why Tevas Are Back (It`s Not Normcore)

6/5/2014
THE REAL REASON WHY TEVAS ARE BACK (IT'S NOT NORMCORE) - OPENING CEREMONY
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The Real Reason Why Tevas Are Back (It's
Not Normcore)
by ALICE HINES
“Do you exist in shoes or live in Tevas?”
So read a 1993 Rolling Stone ad for the sandal that
conquered pop culture, charging in on the feet of every
NEW AND NOW: OPENING ...
IN A WORLD OF PLASTIC
TIPSY AND TAN: MOUTH
COME AGAIN: MOSCHINO ...
OC'S FATHER'S DAY GIFT ...
THE ALLURE OF PAMELA ...
ADAM SELMAN TALKS ...
JENNY SLATE ON ...
THE LOCAL JUICE GUY ON ...
5 GORGEOUS, TRIPPY ...
mountain climber, laid-back mom, and music-festival rager
that year. Atop a mid-air kitesurf, the ad’s shoes seem to
siphon athletic experiences into spiritual ones. “When you die,
they'll put you in a nice suit and shiny shoes,” it quipped. “As if
death didn't suck enough already.”
If the whole thing seems a bit metaphysical (or, as Tevawearers at the time might have put it, heady, dude) it’s by no
accident. In the ‘90s, Tevas gained popularity not so much as
a shoe, but as a mindset. The sandals took utility and made it
PARIS, FRANCE
a lifestyle: If you were interested in “living” rather than simply
“existing,” you would let your toes and your spirit run free (in
Tevas, of course).
The resurgence of Tevas has been pegged to several sources
—normcore, the '90s renaissance, the fact that we at Opening
Ceremony have just released a COLLABORATION with the
An ad for Tevas from 1997. Photos courtesy of Teva
brand (which, by the way, is pronounced Teh-va). But, once
you look at the history of the shoe, it’s clear that it signifies
more than just millennial nostalgia. From the beginning,
Tevas have been a radical (and let’s face it, at times
controversial) fashion statement, transforming comfort and
utility into a signature aesthetic.
The original sketch for Tevas
When Mark Thatcher invented Tevas in 1984, fashion couldn’t
have been further from his mind. The Philadelphia-born Grand
Canyon river guide was looking for a sandal that would stay on
feet during water sports, and strung a velcro watch strap
through a pair of flip-flops. Thatcher sold the shoes out of the
back of his truck, according to Jason Bertoli, Teva’s current
product line manager, and it wasn’t long before they caught on
among athletes of all varieties of outdoor sport.
So, how did Tevas go from a river guides’ uniform to being the
“shoe of choice” at Lollapalooza 1993 (according to
Entertainment Weekly, which also gave a fashion shout-out to
dumpers, “those huge, baggy shorts favored by
skateboarders”)? The short answer is that people started
wearing the shoes when they weren’t doing sports. According
to a flurry of trend pieces published that year, Tevas became
go-to sandals not only for “deadheads and bohemians,” but
for anyone touched by the “back-to-nature-craze sweeping the
country.” By 1998, the shoes had become so ubiquitious that
“mildly appalled Europeans came to see them as the '90s
equivalent of the unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and necklace of
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6/5/2014
THE REAL REASON WHY TEVAS ARE BACK (IT'S NOT NORMCORE) - OPENING CEREMONY
Mark Thatcher, a Grand Canyon river guide, invented Tevas in
cameras that used to identify the clueless American tourist
1984.
abroad,” one writer put it.
The truth is, from the beginning, Tevas have provoked strong
reactions, not unlike sister brand Ugg (both are owned by
Deckers). It's not just that the sandals signify unapologetic
comfort, but also a kind of indifference about trends. Ironically,
as the '90s progressed, anti-fashion fashion turned out to be
one of the decade’s most significant trends. “You see a longterm interest in ‘authentic,’ ‘real’ clothes that are not part of
fashion,” said Valerie Steele, chief curator of the Museum at
FIT. “[In the mid-90s], there’s a shift from Versace towards
grunge and Helmut Lang. Kate Moss and the waif replaced
the Glamazon.” In other words, even as Tevas were being
derided by chic Europeans, they were paving the way for
grunge and minimalism.
In 1998, Teva was the subject of its very first high-fashion
revival, with a pair of rubber-soled sandals by Prada. Recently,
it’s been happening on a much larger scale: Thick-soled,
velcro sandals are all over the runways, from RAF SIMONS to
ALEXANDER WANG to Marc Jacobs. If '90s grunge and
minimalism were reactions to the sequin-and-shoulder-pad
mania of ‘80s, it’s easy to see why Tevas might be having a
renaissance now. After years of enduring pain for fashion’s
sake––bandage dresses, spike platforms, vacuum-skinny
jeans––who isn’t ready for a little comfort?
According to Steele, who just bought a pair of Teva-inspired
Pradas, this resurgence also hinges on the style’s long-time
notoriety. “Ugliness is very close to stylishness,” she said. “In
a fashion context, it can look cooler and more cutting edge
than prettiness.” Heady, dude.
Watch our Opening Ceremony x Teva video HERE | Shop
all WOMEN'S and MEN'S
FILED UNDER: OPENING CEREMONY X TEVA , ALICE HINES ,
FOOTWEAR , TEVA , VALERIE STEELE
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1.
What can I say...I love my Hurricanes. First purchase of TEVA's ever on the island of Kuaui/ HI. I
WED, JUNE 4, 2014
went everywhere with them and they are a testament to comfort and utility. Wow! Easy on. Easy
off, and my feet feel great after miles and miles of up and down, this way and that. All my
expectations have been met, and guess what, I am really not a sandal person. TEVA, you have
02:55
won me over.
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6/5/2014
THE REAL REASON WHY TEVAS ARE BACK (IT'S NOT NORMCORE) - OPENING CEREMONY
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