French company RELANCE has gone live with its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. This will support the roll-out of the new company’s RL-01 running shoe.
A company spokesperson noted… “You can express your interest in the shoes via Kickstarter from Sunday 8th August.
“The cost of the trainers is comparable with other premium brands. However, if you support Relance during the crowdfunding period, you could save 30% making the shoes a fantastic proposition.”
The Kickstarter campaign is being run on an all or nothing basis. It will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Thursday, October 7 2021. At the time of writing, £8,034 had been pledged towards a £15,258 goal.
RELANCE is a young French brand manufacturing running/fitness shoes that wants to establish itself as a reference brand in the performance & casual sportswear market.
Launched by Violaine Grégoire, a 27 year old designer, the shoes are designed and manufactured in France.
Grégoire said, “We have opted for a design of midsole thick enough, but unlike what is done with the majority of running shoes. We took the decision to make a thick enough sole in the front for a better cushioning at the expense of the drop. This does not prevent the shoe to be responsive, quite the contrary.”
On its Kickstarter campaign page, the company add… ‘We want to take the opposite view of the usual production model used by major sportswear brands (95% of sports shoes are made in factory cities located in Asia with, sometimes, suspicious working conditions) by relocating our production in France. We want to prove to the world that an alternative is possible.’
The upper of the RL-01 shoe is made with KNIT technology (or industrial knitting). It is made directly on a machine which allows for more precision but also limits the waste of material and thus limits the impact on the environment.
The company notes that… ‘technically this allows the shoe to be more flexible and breathable. The sole is designed to reduce fatigue while running, while the cushioned insole will ensure optimum comfort.’
