Novesta

No need to brag when you are the best

I find it very stressful to wear big branding. I might be still living in a dream in which it’s 100% my personality that defines my style and not the amount of branding on my garments, so I tend to prefer small logos, quality and brand heritage for example. So let’s talk about Novesta.

The brand name was not there yet, but the production facilities go back to 1930s Slovakia, where Jan Antonin Bata opened his shoe factory. The name may sound familiar to anybody who’s had more than a slight interest in sneaker culture, because his stepbrother was the famous Thomas Bata of Bata Shoes. Whenever you stroll around a well sorted sneaker vintage blog you may spot some. Coming from a family background rooted in shoes, J.A. Bata layed the groundwork for something that is more than fashion: A brand that always keeps up with the highest environmental standards by using materials such as 100% cotton, linen and only natural rubber. A mixture that is perfect for ecological footwear.

Speaking of natural rubber. The rubber sole is machine-pressed onto the body of the shoe, which gives the shoe Novesta’s trademark look: the tiremarks around the sole. Check out their Star Master silhouette if that has sparked your interest (or just continue reading).

What differentiates Novesta from most other brands ist the lack of any glue or chemicals in their production. No sole looks the same. A unique piece of wardrobe. And there are of course highly skilled worksmen employed at Novesta to complete the tasks exactly as all out through the brands history.

We at HHV are always on the lookout to scout brands to fit in with our attitude and our standard for quality and therefore decided to introduce you to a collection of shoes, that might be just the right thing for you.

Let’s dive in:

THE STAR MASTER

Novestas signature shoe. Carrying the chunky outsole I already described adding this shoe to your collection is a no-brainer. There are few more iconic styles of trainers than a simple canvas one. I saw a similar silhouette a few years ago at Dover Street Market brandishing the logo of Comme des Garçons. I had already spend too much money on pints, magazines I would never read, but that nevertheless would upgrade my coffee table and just too much food, so I decided to skip copping those shoes. But they always stuck to me. Whenever somebody asked me what shoes I was planing to get next, I told them about those. But I never got them. But I was planing on getting them. Really. Such a crisp addition to any wardrobe. Novesta Star Masters looked similar. That’s why I instantly liked them, because *plot twist* those shoes I’ve been lusting after actually were Novesta x CDG. My mind was blown.

The Star Master is available in six colorways, the beige, military and navy colorways are my favorites. Their natural colored rubber soles are what sets them apart from other Canvas shoes. Also available in a high top cut under the name of Star Dribble.

Novesta really is an OG and certainly has earned its well respected place in the fashion world next to brands like Universal Works (If you are interested here is a link to a piece I wrote about them), with whom they collaborated on several of their shoes. According to Universal Works one of the reasons they were so attracted to this shoe brand was the fact that they still produce in their very first factory. That’s OG, too.

If you are into moodboards, I’m quite sure you have already seen Novesta Star Masters on the feet of Liam Gallagher, legendary musician and one of the many patron saints of today’s uncountable instagram moodboard accounts. Kendrick Lamar famously wore them as well in a New York Times feature. If you know his approach to fashion, first being expressed by his decision not to wear »any more designer shit« while still remaining one of the most stylish guys in the music industry, this gives you the Novesta vibe. No unnecessary gimmicks. No big logos. No need to brag, when you are already the best.

THE GERMAN ARMY TRAINER

This one is an icon. You might have seen this silhouette before and of course the name gives away where this shoe has its roots. Before Martin Magiela found a pair of those in an Austrian second hand store and was so fascinated by them that he sent the models of his Spring Summer show in 1998 down the runway wearing them, this shoe was strictly for Bundeswehr (German Army) recruits. That being said you can be sure that there was no focus on fashionability. The sneaker was designed for comfort to last your military training, not to show off. Hedi Slimane also introduced a silhouette called the B01 when he was designing at Dior in 2005.

MARATHON

This running silhouette was designed especially for the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988 for the Czechoslovak Team to wear. It might not be top of the game to compete in a sportive competition, but it’s in competition to become your new go to sneaker nevertheless. Upper made out of nylon canvas with overlays of suede. EVA midsole. All the ingredients for a classic. By the way, there is also a slightly modified version called Marathon Trail, which is hardly inferior to the OG in anything.

With a rich history to rival the more established brands on the market, Novesta is an »if you know, you know« type of brand. If you are a fashionable person you might recognize their silhouettes and if you are looking for something off the mainstream you might have found just the right brand for you.