JUNE MEDIA TRACKING

We swung by the Gotham Gets in Gear showroom and got a sneak peek at the coolest gear, performance wear, and travel items that are about to hit the market in 2012 and beyond. From no-grease bike “chains” to comfy running shoes to bikes for the whole fam, we found a bunch of new gear to get excited about.

Smith Prescription FramesWe’ve always been big fans of the sunnies and goggles that Smith Optics has offered for the trails and slopes. Now you can get custom pre-scription eyeglass frames from the Sun Valley, Idaho-based eyewear specialist. Some pupil-popping models caught our eye at this show from the Metals and Lifestyle collection like the uber-cool Indies and the retro-styled Claypool. Always on the go? Smith also offers a Sport Rx model that fits under its gog-gles or performance eyewear.

We already know retro glasses are in. But thick frames don’t work for everyone, especially if you’re a one-frame kind of guy and are even remotely active. Anyone who’s interested in a minimalist frame that stands up to active use should give the Smith Optics Vapor 2 ($179) (which we recently put to the test) a blurry-eyed look.

The handsome frames come in three flavors: black, ruthenium (silver) and olive. The titani-um LaserFlex temples and partially rimless frames wear comfortably and remain secure even on sweaty, grimy faces. Though the design feels lightweight, the Vapor 2 held up extremely well on an active overseas trip and easily survived numerous unintentional drops. Plus, we like the frame’s subtle design that exudes class, rather than freshman physics class. Smith will gladly fulfill your prescription in 1-2 weeks, so you don’t have feel your way around the world for too much longer. The best part? Smith’s stellar lifetime warranty, which you don’t see every day.

If you’ve lived in Seattle for any amount of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard the statistic that Seattle-ites buy more sunglasses per capita than anyone else in the country, for the oft-cited reason that they lose them so often between sunny days.

In keeping with the buying part of that famous claim-to-fame, it’s worth checking out the four new styles of sunglasses from Smith Optics that you will certainly want to pick up but most definitely won’t want to lose.

View slideshow: Four new sunglasses from Smith Optics.The Chief is the headliner of the new quartet of sunglasses, marked by Italian finishing and a me-dium to medium-large coverage, it’s a bold look that doesn’t overlook the subtle details. The lenses are Techlite polarized glass TLT and come in six different color combinations, each with anti-reflec-tive and hydroleophobic lens coatings. The nose and temple pads utilize hydrophilic Megol material, with stainless steel spring hinges and a 62-14-130 measurement. MSRP is $219.

Sticking with the large coverage style, the Vanguard carries a 63-18-125 measurement with Car-bonic TLT lenses and Evolve frame material, a combination that comes in five different color and lens options, each with a 6 base lens curvature. MSRP is $119.

For a sleeker look, the Lineup is the pair for you. While the Carbonic TLT lenses still provide a signif-icant amount of coverage, the stamped stainless steel frames keep the Lineup light while offering a modern and very comfortable look. The temple pads also use a hydrophilic Megol material, while the adjustable silicon nose pads ensure a comfortable fit. The matte blue polarized mirror lenses offer a fresh take that will help you stand out from the crowd this summer. The Lineup offers a 9x3 toric lens curvature, while the frame measures 64-14-120. MSRP is $169.

With a nod toward the 80s but a firm grasp on the now is the Gibson. A pair of sun-glasses that rejects compro-mise, these medium coverage shades have a Grilamid TR90 frame and carbonic TLT lens-es. Seven color combinations, each with a 6 base lens curva-ture and frame measurements of 60-14-125 make this a great weekend pair of sun-glasses, and with an MSRP of just $119, make it affordable enough to pick up a second pair.

Having had the chance to try out the Lineup and the Chief courtesy of Smith Optics, they quickly became a regular part of my sunglasses rotation, with each providing a very different look and feel. The full-coverage Chief and more streamlined Lineup are both lightweight and comfortable and allow a quick transition from weekday dressy to weekend casual. On those bright Seattle days, the lenses take a good deal of strain off the eyes and figure to be two pairs that I’ll be making sure don’t disappear.

Living in the state of Colorado where there is as much sunshine as there are Subaru’s, I find that I am wearing sunglasses more than the typical outdoors person. For whatever reason, I started young with wearing sunglasses a lot and I have never turned back. Over the last month, I have had the op-portunity to test out the Smith Prospect Sunglasses, which are sports/activity oriented sunglasses.

For testing the Prospect sunglasses, I took these sunglasses out on a number of runs including both road and trail, hikes, and I also tested the fashion sense at a few spring/summer bbq’s. For run-ning, I found the Prospect to breath well and not get too sweaty while running. There were a few times when I would have to wipe the sweat from the lenses, but sometimes the heat wins out no matter what technologies are used. For hiking, I liked the fit of the Prospect sunglasses as they stuck to my head, but weren’t super tight around my temples. One of the features that helps hold them on your head is the rubber that is used on the inside of the sunglass arms and on the nose pads.

The frame of the Smith Prospect is made from the Smith Evolve mate-rial. This material used is Rilsan Clear, which is approximately 53% bio based (eco friendly). The frame is semi-transparant which I found to be pretty cool looking. Typically with sport glasses, you get a solid color for the frame, but I found the Rilsan Clear material to perform just as well and not allow additional light in.

The lens that Smith uses in the Prospect is called Tapered Lens Technology, or TLT. With the TLT in the Prospect lens, you don’t get a bunch of distorted rays, but you get one direct ray that allows your eye to read what it is seeing more accurately. I find that when I wore the sunglasses, my views were sometimes more clear than without the sunglasses on. Objects seemed to be a little more de-fined, which makes life a little more rosy…

The Smith Prospect sunglasses have a medium fit. The frame measurements for these sunglasses are as follows 61-19-125. Since each persons head is a different size, I won’t get too much into the detail on how they fit my head. I feel that I should mention that I have a medium sized head and that the Prospect sunglasses fit perfectly.

The Prospect comes in five frame color options; Blue Blazor, Matte Black, Black, Blue Stripe, and Brown Stripe. I tested out the Blue Blazor frame and I really enjoyed the color on the frame. It was close to black, but it had a little flair to it with it being a somewhat clear blue color. The Lens op-tions include; Polarized Gold Mirror, Polarized Blue Mirror, Polarized Gray Green, Polarized Gray, and Polarized Brown. I tested out the Polarized Gold Mirror and found the lens/frame combo looks great.

The Smith Prospect retails for $119 which is a standard price for a quality pair of sunglasses these days. Overall, I really enjoyed the Smith Prospects and I would suggest them for people looking for a sport sunglasses that can be doubled as a casual sunglass.

Does dad love speed? Not that these glasses will make him faster, but they will protect his eyes while going fast. The new PivLock V2 will take you from the start line to the podium. With features like our new 3 size adjustable nose and performance-proven interchangeable lenses, the compe-tition doesn’t stand a chance. The medium sized lens and sport-driven frame design are upgrad-ed with our new slide on temple ends for first class comfort. Fit for a king or queen.

Features:

• Lifetime Warranty• Medium Fit / Medium Coverage• Carbonic TLT Lenses• Evolve Frame Material• Hydroleophobic Lens Coating• 3-Position Adjustable Nose Pads• Slide-On Temple Tips• Hydrophilic Megol Nose and Temple Pads• 7 Base Lens Curvature• Frame Measurements 135–n/a–120• MSRP: $159.00

http://www.smithoptics.com/products/#/Sunglasses/New+Releases/PivLock+V2/view/

I know that a good amount of our readers are avid shooter. One aspect of shooting that I highly promote is safety. Whether it is an of-ficial shooting range or plinking in the back-yard, it is important to practice safety. One of the five senses which need to be protected is your vision. Smith Optics have been in the eyewear industry for many years. Founded by the late Bob Smith, who was also the inven-tor of the modern goggle. Mr. Smith recently passed away and we send our condolences to the Smith Family and Smith Optics Team.

Smith Optics offers many different styles of eyewear and eye protection, but one model that has caught our eye is the Aegis ARC Deluxe Kit. With lenses that meet U.S. Military stan-dards, and other features such as anti-fog, PivLock Lens Interchange technology to allow quick lens changes, and scratch resistant technology. A very cool feature of the ARC Deluxe is that they fit very well on you while wearing head gear.

 

Smith  Jetset    Sunglasses  Magazine,  May/June  2012