Adidas is a name not often associated with the world of mountain biking, but the apparel giant has begun to make inroads into the realm of two-wheeled sports by way of their Adidas Sport Eyewear brand. Adidas Sport Eyewear provided me with their Horizor sunglasses just in time for the Pacific Northwest’s characteristic cloud cover to burn off as summer rolls around.
Initial Impression
After slipping the glasses out of their microfiber carrying bag, I was impressed by the quality feel of the eyewear. The glasses have a definite European style about them, but don’t stray too far in to the over-the-top fashionista territory, maintaining a sleek look with just enough panache.
The Horizor is offered in a wide variety of frame and lens color combinations, so riders can pick a combo that compliments their kit and offers the right level of light performance. I opted for the Coal Shiny Red colorway, which, as the more astute readers in the audience may have guessed, offers a reflective red lens wrapped in a shiny black frame. After receiving plenty of “hey, nice glasses” on and off the bike, I’d say that the Horizor is a stylish and worthwhile addition to my face.
Performance
The Horizor has a comfortably snug fit on this rider’s medium-sized cranium, and has done an admirable job of clinging on through a variety of rough rides. Even when descending rock gardens that have shaken other glasses off my head, the Adidas lenses stayed in place, giving me one less thing to worry about when I tried to keep the rubber side down. Additional nose pads are included with the glasses, so the frames will fit snugly on a variety of schnozes.
Without looking like fly goggles, the coverage of the Horizor was impressive and did an admirable job of keeping sunlight from sneaking in past the frames. In addition to keeping excess light out, the ruby lenses provide a neutral, slightly cooler color temperature that I much prefer to many other sunglasses’ over-the-top darkening effect. The lenses are great for riding in forested areas with a lot of transitions between light and dark, as they minimize the prominence of hot spots through the trees and provide the rider with a very even light level, letting the good times roll unhindered.
Conclusion
In my life, I’ve only rarely let myself have nice glasses as I tend to lose them pretty frequently on account of my being dumb. The Adidas Horizor is easily one of the finest pieces of eyewear that I’ve worn and I would be truly upset were I to lose them. They’re comfortable, do an excellent job protecting my eyes in a variety of light conditions, and as an added bonus, they make me look much cooler than I actually am. The Horizors have become my go-to glasses on and off the trail and I’ve been happily recommending them to anyone looking for a new pair of sunnies with just the right amount of style.
MSRP: $125
Thanks to Adidas Sport Eyewear for providing the Horizor glasses for review.
