Her Take
By Erica Schuckies
I'll admit it: I'm a sunglasses snob. With years of outdoor sport and activities under my belt, I've owned (and lost and broken) countless types, styles and brands of sunglasses for any given activity. My number one pet peeve is having to worry about accessories (or anything else) when you're running. For sunglasses, this includes a pair that slides down your nose or pinches behind the ears. Luckily for me, the Flak 2.0 XL seemed to be the perfect match for everything I was looking for.
Size/Shape:
When I heard these were unisex, I was worried about how the size and shape would look on my long, oval face. However, the frame and lenses seemed to fit my face perfectly. The frame even fit nicely under a thick headband that hasn't worked with ANY sunglasses I've previously owned. The upper bar fit snugly against my forehead, and didn't allow that pesky strip of sunlight that often sneaks in over the top of sunglasses.
Lenses:
I tested these on a trail run at Cedar Ridge Preserve, a shaded and hilly park in South Dallas. The sun was out, but the thick trees provided plenty of shade on the trail floor— making me wary to wear sunglasses around an upturned root or shallow hole. However, as I slid on the glasses (with the Prizm Trail lenses in place), my view was immediately improved and lightened dramatically. The Prizm lenses made the rocks, twigs, roots and trees more pronounced in the dim light, increasing my comfort level along a trail that could have meant ankle disaster with other lenses.
Nosepiece:
These glasses stayed fixed on my face as if they were held in place by a big dab of glue. I wore them before, during and after my run without any discomfort or slipping, and I was impressed by the quality and feel of the nosepiece overall.
Earsocks/Temples:
I have a hard time with sensitivity behind my ears, with both sunglasses and eyeglasses. This is probably due to my many years of outdoors activity combined with the fact I've worn eyeglasses (when I'm not wearing contacts) since I was 10 years old. I often have to wear eyeglasses and sunglasses in strange positions on my face to alleviate behind-the-ear pain—which is not a pretty sight. With the Flak 2.0 XL, however, I was able to wear these for a good three-plus hours without pain, while still not feeling any slippage whatsoever.
Overall Verdict:
Hands down, I would purchase these sunglasses for myself and highly recommend the Prizm Trail lenses for cloudy days or shady trail runs. I never once had to worry about my sunglasses staying on my face, which is a common concern for this chronic-sunglass-loser (the ocean is home to about three pairs of mine). The high-quality feel and comfortable fit complemented my run perfectly, and the Flak 2.0 XL felt less like an accessory, but more an extension of my running self.
Flak 2.0 XL is part of Oakley's Performance Collection sunglass line that includes Jawbreaker and Radar EV, all of which are available with Prizm lens technology.
More: Running Sunglasses for Every Condition
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