SportRx… whether or not you need prescription lenses, they’re a pretty awesome company. It’s run by optician athletes. Or athlete opticians. However they prefer it… According to their About page they are:

SportRx is a Southern California based company created by opticians who ride their bikes, run their races, push their jogging strollers and bomb down slopes. We love glasses and enjoying life and want to help you see better while doing the things you love.

I was given the opportunity to receive a pair of shades from the company for use during running. And even though I don’t wear prescription lenses anymore (PRK baby! One of the best decisions of my life. Elective surgery FTW!) but when I did always wore my contacts while I ran. I disliked/hated/loathed/despised wearing my regular spectacles while running. Plus they didn’t provide any sun protection and it’s bright out here in the desert! But also during this time my contacts were increasingly causes my problems and my eyes were constantly irritated. And getting salty sweat in the eyes with contacts is a big annoyance cause you can’t even rub your eyes as vigorously to try relieving the pain. But I wore the contacts and cheapo sport sunglasses for each run.

So when I chatted with on the phone with them, in addition to the casual banter about our kids, I learned some tips about shades and a pair of Oakleys was recommended for me. I knew that you wanted to make sure your sunglasses provided UV protection, but it was good to be reminded that you want the glasses to be dark enough to shield you but not so dark you lose the nuances of the world around you.

So once we narrowed down the frame, it was time to choose the color. My first inclination was to do like I always do… go as neutral, not funky as possible. But then I had a change of heart, I’m realizing more and more that life is too short to not have fun, even with your shades. So I chose a white frame with purple lenses!

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. They are so lightweight and feel great, but I’m also not really aware of them while I run. I guess I did have a moment of being aware about them when I first ran in them, simply because I kept noticing how much lighter they seemed on my face, how much more visible the world seemed and how they didn’t bounce around or slide off. They’re just great shades.

This recommendation all came by them chatting with me about where I live, what my primary sport is, when I’ll use the shades and in what conditions. They know their stuff, I was impressed!

If I still had to wear prescription lenses, knowing what I know now… I would probably not have suffered through the years of contact wearing and just bought a good pair of prescription shades. My mom bought a pair of prescription sport sunglasses from her eye doctor a few years ago and I think she was a little sticker-shocked at first, but now thinks they’re 100% worth it. Plus if you have money in flex accounts or something like that, it may be a good way to use that cash. Yes, SportRx works with that.

The website is easy to use, with ways to narrow down frames by sport/brand/gender/category. They have an analyzer tool that you can answer some questions and they will help you pick the right frame. And they have live chat on their site, if you need help. If you’re in San Diego, you can visit their showroom for help. I’m really impressed with the company and was glad to be introduced to them.