My experience with a pair of sunglasses has been historically been short. I often break or lose them within a few months.  My previous favorite sunglasses were the Oakley 0.4s.  The only problem was they kept breaking (I swear my sweat is like Alien blood).  I must have gone through nine pair over the years and took full advantage of Oakley’s generous replacement plan. Of course, that was back in the day when my eyesight was still good, and I could get away with normal sunglasses which I can get at ICU Eyewear for women, that are of superior quality.

Fast forward to 2006 and my eyesight wasn’t too bad, I just needed enough correction to tell a tree from a runner. I tried contacts and gave up after 20 minutes.  That meant Rx sunglasses.  I first tried some adidas, but they required a weird insert behind the normal lenses. That’s when I decided to try Rudy Project, since I could get interchangeable Rx lenses that didn’t require inserts.

I went to Get-A-Grip, since they were an authorized Rudy Project dealer. They had a great selection of frames; and after trying on different pairs for about half an hour, I settled on the Rudy Project Horus.  Now, that I had the frames, I just needed to pick the lenses.  Well, I knew I wanted clear, but what should I get for tinted.  Egads. Since I was getting Rx lenses, I had about 20-30 tints to chose from.  I opted for the Racing Red.  Get-A-Grip highly recommended these for their ability to handle transitions from shaded to sun, especially on the trails.  These are probably Rudy’s most popular lens tint. I brought in the Rx from my optometrist and they placed the order.

I thought things would go seamlessly, but it turns out my timing was bad.  The FDA was cracking down on Rudy Project for allowing the sale of Rx eyewear through normal retail outlets.  Supposedly, they could only sell them through licensed opticians.  I didn’t know what the big deal was considering I had gotten my eye exam at a licensed optician and they just faxed in the Rx. Rudy Project handles Rx lenses directly whether they are from an optician or retail outlet.  Oh, well, I lucked out since I just made the cut off.  They guys at a Get-A-Grip were awesome by following up with Rudy Project rep and ensuring I got my sunglasses in a timely manner. So, what do I think about the shades?

At first, they took some getting used to.  I never really liked my adidas, but loved my old 0.4s which were extremely lightweight.  The two things I appreciated about the Horus were the stability on my face and the lens coverage. I often had a problem with sunglasses bouncing off my nose when I ran. Even though the Horus don’t have an adjustable nose bridge, they were the first pair of sunglasses that I owned that stayed in place when I ran. I also liked how much of my eyes that where covered by the lenses.  When I got my Horus in January 2007, it was prime winter running in Chicago.  My eyes get sensitive to cold air, but the Horus protected them nicely from the wind and blowing debris (aka, snow).

One of the best features of the Horus are the interchangeable lenses.  Boy, are they easy.  I can’t think of how many times that I’ve popped them in and out over the years to change between the clear and Racing Red.  I really like the Racing Red in any conditions other than nighttime.  I thought they wouldn’t block bright sunlight very well, but I was impressed.  They really excel in shading conditions.  I love them with MTBing when you go between open and wooded areas. It’s very easy to pick out trail details. My old Oakleys with amber or blue lenses made it harder to discriminate details. My only real complaint with the Horus is that they fog up easier than my Zero 0.4s.  However, it hasn’t been a deal breaker for me.

I find it hard to believe that I’ve had these for nearly 3 years now (though I hope I don’t jinx myself by writing that). The photos below are how they appear now.  The frames have worn in a few places, but have held up well even though I’ve dropped them countless times.  Plus, the lenses are relatively scratch free.  My Rx hasn’t changed much over 3 years, so I see no reason to get a new pair in the near future.  In fact, I would lean towards getting another pair of Horus if they are still around.

There you go, my long-term review of the Rudy Project Horus. I never thought I’d have them for this long.  Please leave comments or questions to the post and I’ll happily answer them.  Thanks!