Sports sunglasses as a fashion accessory: embarrassing or stylish?
17.6.2022
Translation: Julia Graham
Gone are the days when sports sunglasses were purely functional and worn just for sweaty activities. Celebrities, luxury brands and loads of people on Tiktok agree that athletic glasses also have great fashion potential. I decided to test it out for myself.
They’re not meant to be beautiful, they’re meant to be fast. These are the sunglasses of the hour. They look as if you should wear them wherever the wind whistles round your ears faster than at walking pace. In other words, when you’re cycling, jogging or whizzing down the ski slopes. It’s only celebrities like reality TV queen Kim Kardashian or rapper Travis Scott who switch things up and wear these athletic shades on the red carpet, concert stages or in the front row of top-class fashion shows instead.
Source: Instagram @kimkardashian
The glasses from sporting goods manufacturer Oakley are popular on Tiktok right now. The hashtag #oakleysunglasses has almost 13 million views at the time of writing. Meanwhile, the hashtag #schnellebrille is trending with 1.9 million views in the German-speaking corner of the video platform. This development, which has been burgeoning since about 2018, is not surprising in view of the euphoria around athleisurewear and the never-ending noughties comeback. Department stores have also bought into the hype. In chic shops, you’ll now find Oakley sunglasses next to luxury brands such as Prada and Balenciaga. These, in turn, are also inspired by a sporty look.
And yes, I can see the charm in it all. When browsing for sunglasses, I’m always drawn to the eye-catching shapes and colours. The sporty designs have something casual and at the same time futuristic about them. Nevertheless, I can’t rid myself of the feeling that I’d look ridiculous wearing them at brunch in the city rather than on a bike in the forest. But because I’m still curious about them, I order not one, not two, not even three pairs from Galaxus, but a whopping four pairs to put to the test. Three of them are real sports glasses for true sports fans – something I’d definitely not describe myself as. Meanwhile, the fourth pair is athletic in style alone.
Oakley Sutro
When I try them on for the first time, I can’t say whether I find this sports version of aviator glasses ugly or great. But they are super comfortable to wear. The glasses have an ultra-light feel and don’t slip even when you move around a lot. With that in mind, I plan to put the glasses to the test at lunch with friends. But then I can’t make myself step out the door. I just look a bit too much like David Guetta at après-ski. Instead, I decide to show my girlfriends the glasses at my house. One of my friends likes the «bimbo look à la Paris Hilton», while the other one’s verdict is: «awful, it looks like a ski mask». And so back they go into the glasses case indefinitely.
Uvex Sportstyle 223
Sleek, sleek. If Lance Armstrong had had a role in the «Matrix», these would probably have been his glasses of choice. I like the vibe, especially when you pair them with leather clothes. If I was in the right mood, I’d definitely wear these out. Unfortunately, this model is apparently not made for people whose noses have a flat bridge. Instead of sitting on my nose, they sit on my cheeks. If you’re on a bike, this could be quite practical as a form of protection against wind and mosquitoes. But in everyday life, it’s just annoying. So I’ll have to pass on these glasses as well – even though I don’t want to.
Oakley Radar EV Path
In terms of speed, this cyber cyclist model (already sold out in turquoise) is probably hard to beat. It’s no wonder that I often spot glasses like this in Zurich on Gen Zs in edgy streetwear. But I can’t take myself seriously and decide against it. I end up laughing within the first few seconds of trying them on, even though they’re as comfortable as the first Oakley model.
I showed a friend a photo and she dealt me this devastating verdict: «Looks like kids’ glasses.» Fashion editorial colleague Laura, on the other hand, is a fan and weighs in: «In fact, my favourite are the black Uvex that look most like sports sunglasses. You may as well go the whole hog, right? It’s not like you look out of place without a road bike or other sports equipment – the look is just good!»
Urban Classics Kos
The last pair of glasses are the only ones in the bundle that are not intended as a functional sports accessory. Instead, they’re meant as a fashionable accessory from the outset. And so, these were the only ones I dared to go public with. I like the sharp cut combined with the mirror glasses, and they sit well and lightly on my nose. These also turn out to be a favourite in a small survey of my circle of friends.
But on my first outing with them, I get quite a few looks. An older man even stops to stand and grin at me. I don’t like it, but it’s also sort of amusing. And I’d still include the glasses in my repertoire were it not for the disturbing Urban Classics logo on the upper right (which admittedly you can hardly spot in the photo).
Verdict
None of the models I tested totally won me over. But that doesn’t mean to say I’ll be writing off sports glasses for good. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Urban Classics gave me a taste for this kind of eye wear. They’re actually based on the Balenciaga «Ski Rectangle» model, so I finally treated myself to the real deal in the sale.
Incidentally, the glasses have turned out to be a real compliment magnet – but my mum is a bit skeptical.
Her theory is that because the glasses stand out, people just feel like they have to comment on them. So as not to be nasty, they simply say something nice. Well, whether they mean it or not, I appreciate the friendliness of it and will continue to hurry through the city with fast shades on, without wheels and if necessary, even without widespread approval.
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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