The Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 sun shades. All photographs: iRunFar
Let’s face it: not everybody loves the pattern of large-lens, loud sun shades. For these of us who refuse to return to the period of Oakley M-Frames however nonetheless need distinctive optics, there’s the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 ($175). Many, dare I say most, higher-end sun shades available on the market at this time have gravitated to the single-lens model. And a few — together with iRunFar gear tester Craig Randall, who’s open about his penchant for big lenses — have absolutely embraced the excessive degree of safety supplied by shield-style operating sun shades which can be moderately misplaced in any non-sports setting. Extra casual-style sun shades appear to focus much less on optics and extra on, effectively, model. Given the present local weather of operating sun shades, I used to be thrilled to see the Silverton Trail26 present excellent optics designed for the precise rigors of path operating, with a body and lens design that I used to be simply as snug carrying on the path as I used to be to the espresso store afterward.
Technique Seven began in 2010 by making protecting glasses for employees in indoor rising areas the place vibrant and harsh mild was simply a part of the job. The model’s subsequent step was to customise its lens know-how to go well with the precise wants of pilots, adopted by its foray into path operating. What has resulted is {a partially} polarized lens that brings out distinction, reduces glare sufficient for many path operating settings, and is mild sufficient to make use of in lower-light settings, like within the forest.
One factor that stands out about these glasses is how mild they’re. Weighing simply 23 grams, they by no means felt heavy on my face. I’ve examined these glasses for almost 18 months, taking them on every part from excessive alpine romps within the Colorado mountains to the deep and darkish bush of the New Zealand backcountry. They’re the one set of non-photochromatic sun shades that I don’t discover myself repeatedly shifting from masking my eyes to the highest of my head as lighting situations change, because the lens is mild sufficient for low mild whereas nonetheless offering loads of safety when issues get vibrant, particularly if I’m carrying a hat.
My principal gripe with these sun shades is that I wouldn’t thoughts if the body have been only a bit narrower and if the anti-slip materials on the bridge of the nostril and the temples was a bit grippier. Whereas they didn’t slip round to the purpose of annoyance, they don’t have the match and really feel of another sun shades that really feel glued to the face. When carrying them on high of my head when inside or in darker path environments, I discovered they appreciated to slide round, probably as a result of pretty versatile body materials, and I’d should readjust them to verify they stayed in place. However, given the mix of the optics and elegance, the marginally looser match is one thing I’m keen to tolerate.
These sun shades are included in our Finest Operating Sun shades information if you happen to’re curious to see how they examine to different favorites of iRunFar’s testing crew.
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Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 Body and Match
A facet view of the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 sun shades.
The body materials of the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 is surprisingly mild and versatile. They function TR90, a thermoplastic materials utilized by many various sun shades and eyeglasses producers. Developed in Switzerland, the fabric is impact-resistant, and its flexibility permits it to bend to suit varied face widths and shapes. It’s additionally out there in many various colours, and the Silverton Path 26 is available in both a tortoise, matte black, or vibrant translucent orange possibility.
The body matches medium to vast faces. As somebody who has traditionally struggled to search out sun shades that don’t dwarf my face, I discovered these to be cheap when it comes to lens dimension and body width. I wouldn’t thoughts in the event that they have been only a bit narrower, however that’s a gripe with almost any sun shades I placed on my face.
There are anti-slip rubber bits on each the bridge of the nostril and across the temples. It’s not the grippiest of supplies, nevertheless it does the job adequately. I’ve talked to individuals who discover these sun shades slip simply, however I’ve at all times discovered that they keep in place fairly effectively, whether or not operating downhill on a path at a reckless tempo or bent over my knees on a steep climb. The one time I fear about them not staying in place is when I’ve them on my head, and I think it’s because the body materials flexes round my head as a substitute of gripping it tightly.
The lenses present pretty substantial protection with out feeling overwhelming, and the frames round them are fairly skinny and don’t impede the sight view. I recognize that the model of those sun shades permits me to put on them in almost any setting, from the path to the grocery retailer to consuming dinner on a patio, with out them feeling misplaced or too technical.
Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 Lens
A facet view of the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 sun shades.
Whereas the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 frames are mild, versatile, sturdy, and able to deal with any setting with ease, it’s the lenses that make these sun shades stand out from many others. They provide 26% visible mild transmission (VLT) and are partially polarized to scale back glare with out sacrificing distinction.
My expertise is that these lenses permit clear imaginative and prescient in altering mild situations, performing effectively each in low mild and the tough mild of the alpine. I’ve discovered that in lots of mild situations, they really improve what I can see when it comes to distinction in comparison with what my bare eye can comprehend. I used them whereas setting an unsupported Nolan’s 14 FKT in Colorado’s Sawatch mountains, the place the route incessantly went from 14,000-foot peaks all the way down to the valleys and tree cowl between them, and I negotiated the altering mild situations of greater than two full days and nights, solely taking them off at night time. I’ve additionally extensively examined them within the forests of New Zealand, which will be extremely dense and comparatively darkish.
Initially, these lenses appear too mild for actually vibrant situations. For situations which have numerous snow, they positively aren’t fairly sufficient, however for every part else, they supply sufficient safety that my eyes by no means felt overwhelmed or fatigued by an excessive amount of mild on the finish of the day. Their VLT is greater than many others whereas nonetheless being protecting in harsh-light environments, which will increase their versatility. The lenses are solely 40% polarized, considerably lower than absolutely polarized lenses designed for fishing or snowy environments. Excessive polarization tends to scale back distinction, and Technique Seven designed these lenses for environments frequented by path runners as a substitute of individuals seeking to minimize out as a lot glare as potential.
The lenses use notch filtering, which the model claims optimizes visibility two to 10 toes in entrance of you, the space that almost all path runners look when negotiating a path. Notch filters block mild of sure wavelengths whereas permitting others to move by. Utilizing all these optics, the lenses theoretically can block distracting mild whereas permitting you to see the shadows and contours of the path forward. Along with the notch filtering, the lenses have an anti-reflective coating.
The lenses even have a hydrophobic coating to forestall fogging. The one time I ever had the lenses fog whereas carrying them was after I went for a mid-run swim in a lake, put the glasses on my moist hair, after which put them on to cowl my eyes. I’m keen to forgive the fogging in that state of affairs.
Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 Total Impressions
iRunFar’s Eszter Horanyi wears the Technique Seven Silverton Path 25 sun shades after setting a brand new unsupported FKT on the 100-mile Nolan’s 14 route in Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Kevin Schmidt
I’ll fortunately place myself on the reverse finish of the spectrum of people that like huge and loud lenses and colourful sun shades, and the Technique Seven Silverton Trail26 supplies each model and excellent optics for individuals like me. I not should compromise on having good optics that assist me see the path in each high- and low-light situations or having a pair of sun shades that I can put on in a extra informal setting.
Whereas nonetheless on the higher finish of the worth spectrum for sun shades, they’re considerably lower than the very best high quality photochromatic choices and nonetheless present a excessive degree of versatility in variable lighting situations. The lenses appear superb for a lot of path operating situations, from cloudy to sunny, dappled to constant, and every part in between.
As somebody who’s historically onerous on sun shades, I can attest to the sturdiness of each the frames and lenses. I’m recognized to place sun shades right into a pack with out a protecting cowl when night time falls, and I’ve tried to wipe smudges off of lenses with no matter shirt or shorts I put on on the time. These sun shades have remained intact and scratch-free after greater than 18 months of constant use, which makes me imagine they’re well worth the preliminary funding.
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