Greetings from Helene 👋

A Summer with Kastel 👣

With summer optimism in the air, we declared the start of the season around May 3rd when the roof rack was emptied of ski equipment, and the first flowers had pushed through the frost. Around the same time, I sat down with the Kastel team to discuss all the shoes we could imagine creating, and I began sketching the first lines of what would become my very first signature model. What kind of shoe do I want it to be? For what use? Which materials? And what kind of shoe would be a good addition to the existing Kastel family? To answer that last question, I needed to thoroughly test all the existing models—in all kinds of weather—and this summer has been perfect for just that.

The somewhat premature summer declaration led to the start of a large garden project that had been on the list for a long time, and with the weather being, to say the least, variable, it was a joy to get acquainted with the "Røros Mud" boots. Super comfortable, easy to rinse off, and they look super cute with a slightly rugged wool sock inside 🥹 A very unassuming shoe on the shelf, but super nice on the foot. They have replaced rubber boots all summer, and they’re so easy to slip on whether the goal is daycare pickup, a boat trip, or heading to work in 10-degree weather with unpredictable cloud cover.

At the end of June and beginning of July, when all work needed to be finished while also craving a taste of summer, I wore the Lofoten sneaker (and a new release you’ll soon see) all the time. Wool has always been my favorite material, but I’ve never had wool shoes! It turns out they work great; breathable and warm, but not sweaty. I love that Kastel has taken the lead in using Norwegian wool—these are the kinds of things that inspire. My shoe might just have to be made of wool too!

In mid-July, we went to the in-laws’ "cabin" in Spain, and here Voss was a star. I mostly slip down the heel and use it as a slipper—lots of on-and-off with shoes on hot tiles and warm sand, strolling to the pool or for ice cream, etc., but it’s also really nice to be able to pull the heel up again if the walk turned out to be a bit longer than expected. I've had an achilles tear for a year, and it doesn’t like long distances in slippers, so it’s a luxury to get two shoes in one! A little stroke of genius, if you ask me!

I hope you’ve had a great summer! As a mom of young kids, I have to say I’m more than ready for a bit of routine again, and I look forward to sharing more fun from the shoe development process with you!

Hugs, Helene