I started racing with a pair of Tevas that I found in Bealls, of all places.
I loved them. I loved the chamfered outside corners of the heels, because they fit so well in my boats. I loved the hard soles that kept my feet from cramping on those 1" tubes used in racing boats as a footrest.
Mainly I loved that they held up for five years.
I loved them so much that I bought my girlfriend a pair when I got her paddling a few years later. 4 months later she fell because the Tevas delaminated.
I thought it was a fluke and bought another pair of Hurricanes. They had changed them. The chamfered heel was gone and the the sole was softer. Three trips later the outer sole delaminated from the inner sole, all of the nylon straps let go.
I e-mailed Teva and got no response.
I bought a pair of Body Glove water shoes and modified the boat.
A year ago I bought a pair of Teva Tanzas, at $80. to see if they were better. Two trips later I Shoe-gooed them back together and used them as pool shoes. Today they came apart again, the nylon straps for the toes this time.
Their quality is awful, but the Body Gloves are still ticking.
I have used Tevas for years. I have always rinsed them with clean water and set them in the sun to dry when I could to keep them from stinking. My last 2 pair of Hurricanes had the sole delaminate from the heat. That used to never happen with my older Tevas. When the last pair started delaminating after the first time in the sun I completely removed the sole, cleaned all the old glue off and used Gorilla glue to reglue them. That was at least a year ago and they are holding up well now. It’s sad when a company making sandalls for the outdoors is so cheap they will not use an adhesive that can withstand a little sunlight.
For water sports, water shoes, wetsuit booties, even high top Converse all stars are vastly superior. They stay on your feet, provide traction and have no velcro to fill with sand and fail. For moving water this is important. Tevas can come off your feet at any time.
I had a pair of sandals once with friction buckles and about 6 straps. Alps I think. They were the only acceptable sandals I have ever used in 60 years. They tended to slide around but always stayed put.
Footwear is important in boats. Give yourself a chance and do not use Tevas.