Women's Novesta Trainers

Novesta has been making the same canvas trainers in the same factory since 1939, on much of the same machinery. The soles aren't glued: natural rubber is heat-pressed onto cotton canvas, which is where the ridge running round the edge comes from, and why there's no synthetic coating anywhere on them. We stock the Star Master, the slimmer Star Dribble, the plain Ital and the Tatra and Partisan sandals. There's more in footwear.

Star Master, Star Dribble or Ital

The Star Master is the one most people come for: the chunkier sole, the rubber shell over the toe, and the vulcanisation line running round the join. The Star Dribble is the lower, slimmer cut, cleaner-looking and less of a statement with a dress. The Ital is plainer again, the quiet one of the three. All of them are cotton canvas on natural rubber, and there are hemp versions of the Star Master alongside corduroy and contrast-piping ones. Buying your first pair and want them noticed, take the Star Master. Want a plimsoll that gets on with everything, take the Dribble.

How Novesta Trainers Fit and Wear

These are built on a generous last, and most people find they come up large, so it's worth checking the size guide on the product page rather than taking your usual size on trust. The canvas softens quickly and creases across the toe, which is what canvas does and what makes a worn pair look better than a new one. Wear them with jeans, a midi skirt or cropped trousers; the chunkier Star Master sole holds its own under something loose. The pale soles pick up marks off a wet pavement and clean up with a damp cloth and some patience. There's no waterproofing at all, so these are dry-day shoes.

Where Novesta Comes From

The factory opened in 1939 and spent decades turning out rubber-soled boots for factory workers, soldiers and firefighters. The Star Master arrived in the 1960s as a military sports shoe and has barely changed since. Shoes have only carried the Novesta name since 1992, but the method and a good deal of the machinery go back much further, which is why the soles are still pressed on rather than glued. Very few shoes at this price are still made the old way, and you can see it in the finish: the line round the sole isn't neat, and it isn't meant to be.

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