Novesta

Novesta make canvas trainers in Partizánske, Slovakia, in the same factory that Jan Antonín Baťa founded in 1939, and they still use the original machinery. The soles are natural rubber, vulcanised and heat-pressed onto the canvas without glue, which is why you'll see the vulcanisation marks on a pair of Star Masters, the signature model. Uppers are canvas, with chunky foxing and replaceable insoles. They are washable and hard-wearing, and the look is deliberately plain. Beyond the trainers, there's an all-suede Trampky, a boot version of the idea, and a Lone Star chukka made with Noel Gallagher. If you want simple, honest shoemaking with a long history, this is it.