Kate Agathon

Designed for both sports and style, the Zeal Optics Salida sunglasses offer a wide field of vision that is perfect for the mountain lifestyle.

Being aware of my environment and having improved peripheral vision is important whenever I’m recreating outdoors.

 

While I typically don’t wear wraparound sunglasses, when I am exercising I do because it is essential to have as wide a field of vision as possible.

 

As a bike commuter, my unobstructed peripheral vision is important so that I’m able to see vehicles, pedestrians, and other cyclists in my immediate surroundings.

Whether I’m hiking with the dogs or doing errands on my bike, the wraparound Zeal Optics Salida sunglasses allow me to see more of my gorgeous mountain surroundings while eliminating blind spots, thus making me wary of potential hazards or distractions.

 

I’m not a runner, but based on my experience using them outdoors, these would definitely be suitable for that active pursuit.

Fit

I have had problems in the past wearing wraparound sunglasses because they just don’t seem to fit my small face.

 

However, the extremely lightweight (they weigh less than a single ounce) Salidas didn’t pose that problem. Although I would have liked them to be the tiniest bit more snug by tightening the arms, thanks to the curved fit that hugged my head, they didn’t slide or fall off whenever I moved.

 

I was surprised how thick the arms felt resting on my ears alongside my head because they do not appear wide. The thickness didn’t present a problem (i.e. headaches) that some sunglasses do after wearing them for a long amount of time, it was just something that was noticeable.

 

Overall, as far as wraparound sunglasses go, they were comfortable enough that I could wear them for hours.

 

I wore the Gloss Black frames with Horizon Blue lenses and they went with pretty much anything- casual clothing for grabbing coffee on patio meetups to hiking.

Performance

I loved how the polarized lenses improved vision and brought out more colors. Thanks to Ellume Color Filtration technology, certain wavelengths of colors are heightened for a crisper vision.

 

Once you look at the world through polarized lenses, you don’t want to take them off. Everything is so much more pronounced: color, dimensions, etc. Even when the late afternoon sun disappeared behind the clouds, I found myself still wearing them because of how bright and sharp everything looked. While these are not the first pair of polarized sunglasses I have worn, I was still impressed with how different my environment appeared when I wasn’t wearing the Salidas compared to when I was.

 

Key Features
Sleek and streamlined, the Salidas are the first small wrap sunglasses that feature Z-Lite thin injection, making for ultra lightweight sunglasses. Other features include:

• Polarized Lenses

• Ellume Color Filtration

• Proflex

• Environmentally-friendly Z-Resin Bio-Plastic Frame

• Rx Ready

• Camloc Hinge

• Asian Fit Compatible

• Adjustable ProFlex Nose Pads to dial in fit

• Impact Resistant

• Scratch Resistant Hardcoat

• UVA/BC protection

The Salida is available in four colors/lens combinations that are simultaneously timeless, yet trendy so that you can wear them for years: Gloss Black/Horizon Blue Lens, Gloss Smoke Tortoise/Dark Gray Lens, Campfire/Copper Lens, and Alpine Ice/Horizon Blue Lens.

The Salidas arrive with a carrying case and protective lens bag.

Colorado Love

Boulder-based Zeal Optics has been around since 1997.

We Coloradans are tremendously proud of the Centennial State and buying local or supporting Colorado-based businesses is commonplace. Therefore, it was super cool to not only wear eyewear from a company with Colorado roots, but whose eyewear is named after a Colorado recreation destinations (e.g. Salida). Shout out to Zeal Optics for their Colorado pride!

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was pleased with the Salidas. They provided fashion and function in a way many wraparound sunglasses cannot.

 

First of all, they fit my small face.

 

Secondly, they were not overly sporty-looking so they were versatile with a variety of different outfits and settings. The clarity they provided was stunning and they didn’t overtake my face in the ways that some sunglasses do (even with a bike helmet).

 

They reminded me of my favorite pair of Ray-Bans that I wore in college circa 1990s, so the nostalgia was nice to experience.

 

Thirdly, they were extremely lightweight.

 

If you’re looking for a pair of small wraparound sunglasses that are designed for performance but are fashionable, look no further than the Salidas by Zeal Optics.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Sansa.

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers.

 

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.