Baxter Geyer Rocking the Smith Seeker Sunglasses in the High Alpine | Photo Mountain Weekly News
From all day athletic endeavors to happy hour on the porch with friends, the Smith Seeker Sunglasses are a great choice for those looking for a stylish, all around athletic eye protection. Upon first look, I was very excited about these sunglasses, and they lived up to my initial impression over time. I love the colorwave offered in the Seekers, especially the Forest Tortoise with Brown Polarized Lenses. While often athletic sport sunglasses lack style once out of the field, the laid back, classic round-shaped lenses on the Seekers keep you in vogue throughout every activity. The designers at Smith did an awesome job merging functionality, comfort and style with the Seeker.
ChromaPop Lens
The ChromaPop™ lens design has become synonymous with Smith for a reason. Their technology helps the wearer’s eyes better distinguish the world by filtering out green/blue and red/green wavelength crossovers. In turn, you get better definition, natural color and clarity from your sunglasses. I’ve bought multiple Smith ski goggles over the years, and I’m really stoked on ChromaPop™ lenses in these glasses.
The polarization in the lenses help further cut glare and improve contrast and color. The Seekers also come with a smudge and moisture resistant coating- improving clean up and clarity. The Anton Krupicka pro model version of the Seekers is equipped with a Visible Light Transmission (VLT) of 14%- great for bluebird and partial sun days. While other models come with Smith’s PhotoCromic lenses which offer a VLT range from 10-66%, the Forest/Tortoise edition comes with a set VLT.
Frame
Smith’s Evolve™ frame technology combines a bio-based material with their normal polymer based sunglasses, making them more eco-friendly than a full synthetic based frame. Who doesn’t love saving the earth? The low profile side shields block some peripheral light and reduce glare, while not completely blocking off peripheral vision like some glacier glasses. Another super important feature for me is the AutoLock hinges, which keep the temples open, and easy to slide on with one hand.
Fit & Style
The Smith Seeker Sunglasses are fit with a medium frame size, which as a larger headed person, these glasses still fit my head perfectly snug. This is in part because of the integration of a QuickFit temple adjustment, which allows the wearer to slightly bend the temples for a custom fit. The classic frame shape paired with a stylish colorwave make the Anton Krupicka pro model a great choice for on the mountain, ripping trails, and in town.
While often with outdoor eyewear I feel some style is knocked back for functionality, the Tortoise shell and subtle green Seeker’s bring a fun and swanky feel to the skintrack or post ride parking lot beer. The Seekers also come equipped with rubber pads on the temple and nose, which have helped prevent slip when the workout starts to become intense. I have yet to use the Smith Seeker Sunglasses on a sweaty summer day yet, they would be great shades or running, biking and river trips– after all, they were designed with the help of a two time Leadville 100 winner, Anton Krupicka.
Pros & Cons of the Anton Krupicka Pro Model
Pros:
- Lightweight, yet durable
- Stylish and functional
- Chromapop™ lenses provide great clarity and color
- Environmentally friendly
Cons:
- Upper tier of price range for athletic sunglasses
Most versions don’t include PhotoCromic lenses
Overall Impression
The Smith Seeker Sunglasses ($175-235) are an excellent choice for those looking for an all encompassing, do-it-all piece of eye protection. You can take these sunnies from an all day outing straight to the aprés function without skipping a beat. Smith effortlessly combined functionality and timeless fashion with the Seekers. If they are within your price range, I would highly recommend grabbing a pair of these sunglasses for any but the most extreme occasions.
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