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AND THE WINNER IS...
Kaenon Polarized Kore $180
Plastic can't get more drastic than Kaenon's spectacular next-gen hard-resin lenses.
Why It's Cool: The view is ab-fab through polarized lenses that wrap wide to the sides and protect against wind. >> The Kore's copperish tint, lightly mirrored, shines in tough in-between conditions, such as the shadow-and-dazzle of a wooded trail, but it also performs in full sun. >> Acuity is on a par with the very best glass. >> Clever indents at the bottom of the lenses follow the contour of cheekbones but leave a gap for defogging air movement. >> The springy frames, with rubber at the nose and ears, clung tight to my noggin. >> S-M-L sizing triples your chances of finding a fit. (Bravo! Why don't all shades makers do this?) >> The look is original. I get a circa-seventies wife-swapper-moderne vibe here that's sort of funny. But how do you quantify perfection? You gotta wear it. Rx-able? No.
Hmmm... The price is painful, but in this case it hurts really good.
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(1) Oakley Half Jacket Array $170
For the first time, Oakley-philes get a three-in-one kit.
Why It's Cool: No, it isn't cheap, but just compare the ticket to that of a trio of O-jackets. >> All the reasons millions of people have shelled out O-dollars for all these years are evident here, beginning with exemplary optics. The view is sharp and depth-enhanced through the purplish poly lenses, suited for regular light. >> The other two lens sets are orange-pink, for low-and flat-light conditions, and clear, for night workouts and clubbin'. >> Lenses swap handily by clicking out of the frames, which are sticky in strategic spots, for security, but otherwise glossy and sculpted in rad-bad, recognizably Oakley fashion. >> This slender, small-lens model is especially suited to those with elegant heads. Rx-able? O-no.
Hmmm... The buzz here is versatility and value. But it would be nice if Oakley pushed the fashion-design envelope further—as the company usually does.
(2) Rudy Project Rydon $140
Show up for your next century ride looking like one badass penny.
Why It's Cool: I can't get over the copper mirroring and frame, which harken both to ancient metallurgy and the distant future. >> The lightweight, racy Rydon is very road-bikey, but what's good for sprocket jocks is good for anyone who plays hard with the wind in his or her face. >> Fit is highly adjustable, thanks to bendable nose and temple pieces, which are clad in hydrophobic rubber, providing great security. >> The copper-tinted lenses are generalists, taming bright light and making low light look brighter. You can pretty much go anywhere, do anything, and the Rydon will scream, "Do it fast!" Rx-able? Have your optician fit corrective lenses into Rudy's optional Ben Franklinesque clip-ons ($55).
Hmmm... There will be painful partings. But, if you don't take these shades off in town, you'll look like a sports-weenie idiot.
(3) Dragon Optical Ranger Pro Kit $110
This value option might be all the sport shade you'll need.
Why It's Cool: This is a very stealthy lens-swapper. The interchangeable poly lenses—dark gray, orange, and clear—look integral when they're in place, but they snap in and out quite nicely. >> The wrap-back lenses nest close to the eyes for more coverage than you'd think. To ventilate that tight fit, slots cut into the edges of the lenses promote circulation. Rx-able? Yup. See your eye doc.
Hmmm... If you're too far beyond puberty to comfortably call friends "dude," try something else.
(4) KAVU Perma Grin $64
There's lots here to smile about.
Why It's Cool: The Perma Grin's playful design provides all the right sport-wrap security and protection in a fresh look that belies its rough-and-tumble durability. >> Lightly mirrored brownish-tint polycarbonate lenses snap up depth and contrast, while the high, wide design provides solid protection from light and wind. >> The sculpted frames hang on tight without sticky patches, for security in cycling, running, ball sports, or any other game. Rx-able? Nay.
Hmmm... Whoops! On one occasion, the plastic pin-in-hole hinges decoupled in my pocket. (They snapped back into place.) >> This look is not for the bashful.
(5) Daggers Triton $75
Though designed to get wet, this bang-for-buck winner shines on the sand.
Why It's Cool: Polarized gray-tint poly lenses slay glare off water. >> Should you take a wave to the face, the water will sheet right off, thanks to a hydrophobic lens coating. >> Such features suggest aquatic applications, but Triton is an all-sports wonder, especially when you consider the price. >> This model owes its solid grip to a springy frame with sticky pads over the earpieces. >> The look is a snappy and streetwise take on the classic sport wrap—you get the same wide, bent-back lens coverage without looking same-old. Rx-able? Yes, through your friendly hometown optician.
Hmmm... The design fit a buddy so perfectly he didn't want to give it back, but I couldn't get the Triton to sit quite right on my large cabeza. |
(1) Serengeti Cascade $120
A set of dedicated driving shades will make you want to follow the long, winding road forever.
Why It's Cool: The lightly mirrored glass, with a reddish tint, pulled clarity and depth out of the hazy sizzle of an L.A. afternoon. >> The design is a sly sport wrap, with athlete-grade coverage and protection disguised behind touches like squared-off frames that deepen from tortoise to black. >> You could legitimately wear the Cascade with a business suit, then ride home with your T-Bird's top down, doing 100 mph. Rx-able? No.
Hmmm... Glass means face-smash sports are out. >> It seems odd that this swank number isn't polarized.
(2) Julbo Nomad $70
Find shelter from the photon storm in way-chic sport wraps.
Why It's Cool: Snap-on side shields wall off light leaks, just like the leather shields found on traditional glacier glasses. The Nomad is better than the old-school numbers, though, because its shields don't cut into the view; the wide poly lenses allow for good peripheral vision. >> The très-dark gray tint is suitable for savagely bright locales. >> Light weight and security from springy frames and strategically placed sticky patches make for extreme sportsworthiness. Rx-able? Yes. Contact Julbo.
Hmmm... From certain angles, I get an annoying bounce-back glare from the mirrorlike coating inside the lenses.
(3) Bollé Malcont $120
Daddy wants to go fast, too.
Why It's Cool: Large polarized poly wrap-back lenses are attached at the top but otherwise hang free, eliminating peripheral visual clutter. >> What you do see is crisp and low-glare. >> Glossy frames have rubber at the nose and graceful straight temple pieces, which grip the head nicely. >> The look is jazzy and grown-up, great for kicking around town. >> All in all, the Malcont is lightweight, comfortable, and suitable for anything up to medium-heavy sports. Rx-able? Sorry.
Hmmm... A bottom-side gap in coverage makes for light leak from below, dictating against use over water and snow
(4) Maui Jim Ho'okipa $139
The Hawaiian shades kahunas make teensy bits of plastic look like money.
Why It's Cool: These minimalist wonders induce amnesia: You forget you're wearing them. >> Gray polarized poly lenses do away with color shift, and elegant nylon frames hold on just so. >> Radical reductionism spares the necessities, though you've got everything you need for all-around go-fast sports, including soft grippies at the ears and nose and solid coverage from the wrapped-back lenses. Rx-able? Nuh-uh.
Hmmm... The lack of prescription-adaptability is sad news for sportsfolk mature enough to be weak of eye, who would otherwise jones for the Ho'okipa.
(5) Action Optics Glide $200
Make like Pierce Brosnan without the accent.
Why It's Cool: The optically ground glass is a lensmaking magnum opus, with every possible buy-up feature: The lenses are polarized to fight glare, with coatings front and back to combat water spotting. They grow lighter or darker with light conditions. >> My pair admitted 15 to 25 percent of visible light, which was comfortable at smoggy high noon, with an iced-tea tint that emphasizes depth and detail. >> War-correspondent chic glass and metal, and the slightly skimpy coverage, make the Glide ideal for genteel activities (croquet, anyone?) or après-sport. Rx-able? Action Optics will make the Glide your way, per your prescription.
Hmmm... You'll need other shades for hard-core rec. But if you've got these, you can afford them. |
(1) Gargoyles Kinetic $60
Bono, call your office.
Why It's Cool: Fashionistas love big, bubble-eye shades, but the Kinetic also does great things for recreationistas. >> Coverage couldn't be more complete behind the high, wide polycarbonate lenses, which offer a crisp view through a color-neutral grayish tint. >> A lightly reflective interior lens coating helps knock back glare. >> Grippy rubber at the nose and ears keeps the Kinetic in place when things get bumpy. Rx-able? No.
Hmmm... The mega-lenses can create a sensation of looking through the bulbous windshield of a helicopter.
(2) Smith Mainline Slider Polarized Kit $159
Go from the lift line to your great-uncle's funeral in the same shades.
Why It's Cool: From the old-school class of lens swappers, the Slider is now even classier with the addition of polarized gray lenses, which furnish a spectacularly sharp, low-glare view. >> The midrange lens in the trio is the same orange tint used in Smith's ski goggles. >> The lens slide-in/out mechanism remains a very easy way to swap plastic. >> Protection and security are up to absolutely anything fast/ rough/tumble, summer or winter, but this model also looks dressy and dignified. Rx-able? No.
Hmmm... Ask yourself if you'll really use the kit as intended—or if you'll be too lazy to ever switch lenses.
(3) Vonzipper Papa G $125
Slide on these mack daddies and the beach is your world.
Why It's Cool: Papa G gets in everybody else's face, while it's sheltering yours from stiff breezes and the noonday sun. >> The great big gray polarized lenses will tackle blazing brightness, and the Papa G stands like a fortress between you and glare and wind. >> Wide-blade temple pieces are part of the protection, as well as the fashion statement, which says, very loudly, "Yo!" >> Consider the Papa G ideal for sitsport, standsport, and drivesport in savagely overlit places. Rx-able? Yeah, brah. Take 'em in to the optician.
Hmmm... Weight, glass lenses, and slick frames—sans sticky patches—mean no X Games for you, Papa G.
(4) Orosi Tsali $95
A smart combination of vin rouge-colored lenses and space cadet style.
Why It's Cool: It takes a moment to get over the color shift brought on by the vermillion-going-purple tint. Stay with it: The payoff is amped-up depth and contrast. >> Given that these babies are also polarized with huge coverage, the net effect is a mutant sort of glare-free supervision. >> The design is Sci Fi Channel chic, with rubber cladding over the ears and enough squeeze in the light frames for excellent stick. Rx-able? Nope.
Hmmm... The small-of-head will look ridiculous. |
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