My biggest running “wardrobe malfunction”. Sunglasses. And I don’t know how to fix it.
This is the current assortment of various sunglasses that I have bought for running, and/or stolen from my children cuz I thought they “might” work for running. This does not include the 10+ pair I have purchased over the years and returned, or the 5+ pair that I have given to random running friends, or the countless pairs that I have pitched onto the sidelines at races. If I’m actually wearing sunglasses and you like them and/or need a pair, just follow me for a couple of miles and they can soon enough be yours! I just can’t deal with them when the “pressure” is on and I’m attempting to running fast.
However, the problem is that I NEED them. My eyes are very sensitive to light and burn when they are not protected. I am frequently looking at the ground to avoid tripping too much light in my eyes. Along with the sensitivity to light, I also have poor vision which is why I’m always looking at the ground, so the tint can’t be too high or I can’t see. For that reason, I’m quite certain that my sunglasses spend way more time in my hair than on my face. As soon as the sunlight disappears, the glasses have to come off. And although, I would like to look tough in a pair like LoLo Jones, I don’t. But I have honestly considered more than once ordering a pair of Oakley’s so that I can be JUST LIKE Lolo! However, I’m pretty sure she would look tough & cool and sexy in anything so that probably wouldn’t translate well for me. Plus, if I pay that much $$ for pair of glasses then all of you will be following me around at races waiting for me to pitch them, right? But Lolo, does look tough in her Oakley’s.
And Desi always looks like a badass tough in hers too. I think she can run faster when she has them on because it masks her level of discomfort, as if one would be uncomfortable running in the 5:15 to 5:30 range x 26.2. Think the same would work for me? 
So basically I’m on the quest for a the perfect sunglasses that will be comfortable and make me run faster not look ridiculous. The criteria:
- Lightweight;
- Rimless on the bottom so that I can wear them on the bike too (bugs in the eyes hurt @ 20 mph);
- Narrow in width, I have a very narrow face thus the reason I can wear my toddler’s sunglasses;
- Inexpensive – preferably in the under $50 price range, but up to $100 would be okay if they are AWESOME;
- Light colored lenses that don’t have too much tint, multi-lens option would be even better;
- No crazy nose pieces that will get caught in my hair;
- Somewhat cool looking while not over taking my face.
Please give me some suggestions! I have 13.1 Miami Beach in 3 weeks and I am hoping it will be sunny. I can’t show up to run without a pair of glasses after hanging in the CHI all winter and not having seen the sun for months.
Do you wear sunglasses or just go without? What brand? Feel free to link up your favorites for me, as I seriously need to find something that will work.
Thanks, Amanda – TooTallFritz
TooTallFritz 
I chose the visor route vs. sunglasses. Although I hate how visors look, I was thankful to have it during my marathon. It is nice to not need it in the winter, but I know I’ll be bringing it back out for some of my races this summer. It also helps keep the sweat of my brow which is always welcomed for a sweat hog like me. (TMI about being a sweat hog?)
I generally prefer a visor or hat over sunglasses, especially because it provides some shade for my pasty ginger skin, and also for the sweat factor. I recently stocked up on some Bondi Bands, which I’ve been wearing underneath my fleece hats/headbands to wick sweat, I might try them out with hats once the weather is warmer.
I do have a pair of “sporty” sunglasses that I picked up for like $12 at Target, but they don’t fit my face very well and are sometimes more of an annoyance than a help. I have a pair of crappy fashion sunglasses that I picked up in a clothing swap that I wear more often during running than my sporty Target ones.
Also, Amanda – Kelly and I were talking about doing a “running stuff swap” at a future group run (probably a weekend run with nice weather, so it might be awhile). So that would be a good way to rid yourself of the excess sunglasses.
What a great idea to wear a Bondi Band under your headband. I think I’m going to try to pick one (or 2) of these up at the Shamrock Shuffle expo!
LOL! You crack me up! My running sunglasses … I got them for like $5 at a Speedway gas station. The only criteria they meet on your list are: they’re lightweight and rimless. They have dark, mirrored lenses and are a little bit thicker. But they’ve never bothered me. Then again … the furthest I’ve run in them is an 8k. I hope you find what you’re looking for though 🙂
Fritz I recommend stealing/trying/borrowing everyones glasses at the next few races until you find a pair u like!
Awesome! I love this idea. Maybe LoLo or Desi would let me have a pair of their cast offs?
TTF…Well I have a related problem….but not from over-choice since I wear prescription glasses, most of the fancy stuff like Oakley’s and other sunglasses are not a choice. I have two pair of Rx glasses….the oval wire rims that have photo-sensitive lenses and turn dark in the sunlight, and the aviator style Rx has a magnetic clip-on that flips up.
Both the Rx work ok, but the problem is the lenses don’t wrap entirely around the eyes, so you get incidental UV light from the sides. I have used clip-flips over the oval wire rims also, but neither of these arrangements are anything fancy or fashionable like the elite runners wear.
Wearing Rx glasses, the only option for wrap-around coverage is “fit-over” sunglasses, and none of the manufacturers that cater to runners carry anything for Rx wearers.
I have messed with “Solar Shield” which you can get at Walgreens and sometimes at K-Mart, but none of them seem to “mate” completely (i.e. fit over entirely) cause my RX frames and lenses to wide in the vertical. But if you don’t wear Rx glasses, Solar Shield makes a nice “Wide Angle” version that wraps well around the face and blocks out incidental UV and probably be great for riding on the bike. They are a bit “bulky” looking so might not meet your “fashionable” or “cool” criteria, but at $20, probably worth a look. I would be a big fan of them if they just re-designed the wide-angle version a bit to accommodate larger Rx frames.
For the Rx wearer I did find some UV-blocking “safety” glasses that do fit over and wrap around my larger frames. They off course are not fashionable or cool looking, but they do work and at ca $10, cheap enough to wear and even toss them if the get uncomfortable or no longer needed in running marathon distance. The problem here is they came free with some equipment I bought, so I don’t know a retailer where you can reliably find them. The UV-blocking safety glasses won’t be something useful for you, but you might have some others out there that wear Rx glasses that don’t have the hundreds of options you face!
You might want to try the wide angle Solar Shield as a less expensive alternative that would work for running, and definitely for your biking.
I wear a pair of Oakleys that my husband bought me a few years back. I don’t know the specific style but they’re the Breast Cancer ones. I like that the lenses are light (pinkish) and I have a bit of a narrow head/face and they don’t look huge on me. They stay in place AND the best part is how awesome Oakley is about sending me replacement parts..free most of the time!
I’m a sunglass hoarder. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good reason. I just love sunglasses. I’d suggest going to a store like Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops. I’ve seen lots of ones at Bass Pro (no Cabela’s in San Antonio) with the parameters you’ve described, and they’re not very expensive. They have lots of the “Blue Blocker” kind with the yellow lenses. I’m not in love with the color, but it really does make a difference on cloudy days or at dawn/dusk.
I love Ryders Hex. Wrote a review on them last year here: http://www.runwithjess.com/2011/04/futures-so-bright-i-gotta-wear-shades.html
Good review, Jess. I’m hoping you have these with your tomorrow! LOL!
I use cheap $15 ironman sunglasses from Wal-mart. 🙂 my requirements — can’t slip (rubber nose/ear pieces), and can’t sit too close to my face (fogs up/gets covered in sweat from my forehead). I’m OK with putting them on top of my head if it’s not sunny during a race though.
I wear a cheap pair of the Hollywood celebrity looking things from Walmart. However I’ve come to realize they don’t work well with Hats. I’m happy you wrote this cause I need a new pair myself. Something sporty but stylish! I’ll be checkin out all the comments :0)
I posted this on the Team Tough Ckik page and so far the recommendations are the ryder hex x2, smith optics, & oakley fast jacket/half jacket & commits.
I’m going to be no help to you! I bought a pair last March from Walgreens and they work just fine for me! lol
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