Eyewear for distance running

New Toy: Oakley flak jacket with Persimmon lens

I was fortunate to be selected by Oakley Singapore to trial the latest Oakley Persimmon lens in the Sundown 84km Ultra-Marathon. That was to be the first time I would be putting on eye wear to run in the night.

I collected the Oakley flak jacket frame with Persimmon lens from Oakley’s office on Tuesday evening, and was given a good presentation of the technology and use of the Persimmon lens. Joey was very helpful to look for a good fit for the few of us and I found the flak jacket to be most suitable for my rather low nose bridge. It was a very stylish silver/black frame which suited my face to a T. The experience at the collection centre gave me a good feeling, and assured me that I will get good support and service for my Oakley product should I need it in future.

I brought it for a run on Wednesday evening, transitioning from the evening daylight to the night. There was no loss of clarity at all during the transition. I even let some of my running kakis look through the lens, and they were impressed with its clarity even under the cover of night. I also used the Oakley shades when I drove in the day, and even wore it all around for the past few days and nights. The frame and Persimmon lens really felt part of me, and my eyes did not feel any strain at all.

The Persimmon lens provided a clear vision at night and made objects appear sharper than without the lens. That was a pleasant surprise. True to its 3-point contact with the face, the frame sat well, without any movement felt as I ran. Even when I pushed the frame aside to wipe my perspiration, it did not dislodge the position of the frame by much.

There was no fogging experienced in spite of the rather snug fit to the face. This frame afforded air ventilation in spite of the lens not having ventilation wells, something which I was originally concerned about. Perspiration on the lens slowly cleared even without much wiping of the lens.

I could see very clearly through the Pesimmon lens and avoided some near clashes with people coming on stream. The lens was robust enough to take some shocks, albeit not direct hits to the lens. At a rest point, I took a rest and gave the lens a good wash under the running tap. It dried on its own, and there were not a hint of smudges on the lens when I put it back on. It was so easy to handle and use. I did not have to worry one bit about looking after it, and instead could just focus on the run at hand. The Persimmon lens became a good tool, instead of being a burden and strain on the eyes.

I think I have found the optimum pair of shades for both night and day in the Oakley Permisson lens (flak jacket), and could be used for all occasions of my sports and daily life, driving, running, shopping, meeting with friends, and best all all, it looks pretty cool and fashionable.

Thanks to the generosity of the Oakley management, I was allowed to keep the trial pair of Oakley eye wear for good. They liked the short review that I had put up. I will certainly bring my new Oakley eye wear out for more distance runs both night and day. In the near future, I hope to do a serious trial of the newer Radar frames which offer lenses fitted with ventilation holes.....ah, another review then.