When I was growing up I was into action sports and I envied every pro who has that big trademark "O" on the side of the fames of his specs.
We all know what it looks like; perfection.
I could never justify the hefty price tag of the stylish, sleek glasses and instead purchased numerous pairs in the range of $15-25. These I considered to be throw away glasses, the kind that you wear for a few months, scratch them to bits, leave them places and generally not care for. Many people feel this way. However, I got to thinking, I spend $20, two to four times a year, and I have nothing to show for it; something was not adding up.
So I took a risk. I had always heard of the durability and quality of the Oakley brand, but always flinched when looking at them through the display glass.
I decided to just go with it. About four years ago I headed into The Outpost, a local outdoor enthusiast shop in Manisee to peruse their selection. I knew what I was looking for; a pair with not too much flair, nothing shiny, and they had to be durable. I tried a few pairs on and chose the Monster Dog.
Luckily for me they were one of the more afford-ably priced models coming in at just under $100.
The Monster Dog model seems to be a hybrid, part sports shade and part casual. I have a medium-small head and they fit me quite well.
Though they lack rubberized pads on the ends of the arms they stay on your head rather well. This is due to the generous curve in the arm piece which snuggly hugs the head without pinching. They stay on so well that I feel confident that they will not fall off. To this day, I have never had they slide down my nose or fall off from my head.
The final nice feature about these is the thickness of the arms. Most sports sunglasses have thin frames to provide maximum air flow. These, however, have thicker arms that would appear to block air flow. Not the case, the air flow is more than adequate and the thick arms block out a lot of cross breezes and glare from the sun when it is at your side.
The price seemed steep in comparison to my bargain throw-aways, however I still have these exact same glasses today, and they are in great shape. I hike, bike, jog, snowshoe, work and live in these shades. In the last four years I have not bought another pair of glasses, save for getting an identical pair in a different color for x-mas this year :), so in the long run they have actually saved me money too!
These things go everywhere with me:
If you are in the market for a good pair of glasses that look as good as they protect pick these up. You will not be let down!
-J
