Introducing Novesta

A male model wearing beige Novesta trainers.

Italy, Spain, Northampton; these are the kinds of places you normally associate with great shoemaking. Slovakia? Not so much, but this is about to change with shoe brand Novesta. New to Coggles, this brand creates handcrafted canvas shoes using eco-friendly materials; 100% cotton and linen are used, and the natural rubber sole is machine-pressed onto the shoe, forgoing the need for toxic glues. With a signature chunky textured rubber sole and large metallic eyelets, these shoes aren’t your average pump.

Novesta dates back to the 1930s, when shoemaker Jan Antonin Bata opened up a factory in the small Slovakian town of Partizánske. Quickly becoming the main supplier to European designers and shoemakers, it wasn’t until 1992 that the brand was officially launched. Long worn by Slovaks and Czechs, Novesta shoes have only recently made their way over to the rest of Europe and the U.S. with a few select stockists.

The brand’s designs are simple yet unique, offering an alternative to the more established brands and styles on the market. Their entry into the UK has been a successful one, too; they’ve already collaborated with YMC and Universal Works and no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more from them.