Made for every step

Askel means “step” in Finnish. Discover how we built light, breathable and water-resistant shoes from wood fiber, tested on trails, tracks and city streets.

It started with a compromise

Every pair we tried asked us to choose. Light or durable. Breathable or weatherproof. Comfortable for a run or good-looking for the day after. We were tired of picking one and giving up the rest.

Then we found the material

Wood fiber had been quietly reinventing textiles for years: strong, light and naturally breathable. We spent years learning how to work with it, testing blends and structures until we had a material engineered in-house, made for movement.

And made the shoe we wanted

Askel is what happens when that frustration meets the right material. Shoes that are light, breathable and ready for a little rain, without the compromise. Built from wood fiber and tested on trails, tracks and city streets.

Founded: 2019; Started by a small group of runners in Helsinki who wanted one shoe that does it all.
In development: 3 years; It took us three years of testing to get the material just right.
Renewables: 80%; Most of our upper material comes from renewable wood sources.
Built to last: 500 km; The distance our test team runs in every model before we call it ready. 500 km is about 310 miles.