The One Pair of Sport Sunglasses I Trust to Stay Put and Glare-Free During Every Run

Over the past few months, I've rekindled my relationship with running after a four-year hiatus. That's not to say that I never ran ​at all​ in four years, but my 10-minute jogs on the treadmill didn't even scratch the surface of the mileage I completed as a former track and cross-country athlete.

After a long exercise break (no matter what kind of training you do), getting back into the groove of things is challenging. I'll be the first to admit that it's hard to avoid comparing my current performance to past times and splits. And more generally, running just ​feels​ hard after a long time away.

So, I'm happy to try any little thing that can give me an extra performance boost or eliminate distractions. Finding a solid pair of running shoes has made a big difference, for sure. But I never expected that sport sunglasses, specifically Oakley's Sutro glasses, would play such an important role.

Allow me to elaborate: I've never lived in sunny places. Sure, Chicago and New York definitely get their fair share of sunshine in the summer. But that's nothing compared to the year-round sunny days I have in living in California. The sun feels a million times stronger, too.

Personally, I absolutely hate squinting my eyes — it's especially annoying when I'm midway through a speed session and sweat has already started to drip into the corners of my eyes. But I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Sutro glasses pretty much eliminate any and all need to squint, even on the brightest days.

Remember what I said earlier about eliminating distractions? Imagine you're on mile 5 of a 7-mile long run. Now, picture a pair of frames bouncing and slipping down your nose with every single stride. If that's not a distraction, I don't know what is.

Luckily, the Sutros have a solution for this common conundrum, too. The nose piece is made with a slip-resistant rubber that actually stays in place no matter how sweaty I get, and I'm talking glazed donut-level sweat. And, the ear pieces dip down right behind my ear, so they sit securely in place and I don't have to worry about the frames falling forward, either.

I haven't even told you about the best part of the Sutros, though: the lenses. Not only are the lenses large enough to block any and all light threatening to blind (and annoy) me mid-run, they just make the world "prettier," to quote my friend who likes to steal my sunnies on beach volleyball days.

Truly, though, they're so clear it's kind of mind-boggling. The sapphire lenses make everything around me appear sharper, clearer and easier to spot — without being overly-bright. I can clock any obstacle from a pretty far distance, even in the mid-day sun. And when I decide to hop into a game of volleyball, they keep my sensitive eyes comfortable every time I have to set into the sky.

Although these aren't exactly budget-friendly shades, I think the investment is absolutely, 100 percent worth it for anyone who can make the purchase. Not only do Oakleys stay in style year after year, the high-quality materials hold up beautifully, too.

I definitely don't believe that a high price tag equals high quality. But where Oakley is concerned, it's simply the truth. After all, there's a reason why the brand has stayed at the top of the performance eyewear game.

​Ready to try your own pair of Oakley shades on a bike ride, run or walk? Gear up with this excellent pair of sport sunglasses.​