JRN hasn't done many product reviews over the years, but when French shoe startup Relance contacted us about reviewing their RL-01 model we liked what the company's mission statement had to say about manufacturing domestically, environmental concerns and paying workers a fair wage, and agreed to try a pair. Relance was launched in late 2019 by designer Violaine Grégoire . The RL-01 is the first shoe she and her team have brought to market. Still in the Kickstarter phase , Relance hopes that the RL-01's limited release will help generate the funds and interest needed to launch full-scale production and additional models next year. The Shoe At first glance the RL-01 looks like what it is, a heavy cushioned trainer geared toward fashion-conscious recreational runners. It's got a lot of nice styling details like a blue-white-red tricolour logo and heel loop, and a single pair of differently-colored eyelets, but weighing in at 330 g it's definitely on the heavier end o...
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