Rudy Project Spinshield sunglasses
Rudy Project’s take on wraparound eyeshields is subtle and contemporary, but without a boxy look.
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The Rudy Project Spinshield looks to be influenced by the Italian company’s original Performance model sunglass of the mid-1980s, as well as current trends of big and boxy shapes. Rudy Project has been all over the eyewear space for years — cue Mario Cippolini’s rule-breaking style choices — with sunglasses for either on- or off-the-bike, and the Spinshield looks like it might do dual-duty for performance wear, or street style.
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Drawing on nearly 40 years of experience to design the Spinshield, the new sunglasses focus on features that offer fit and performance. The temples are designed to hug the sides of the wearer’s head, while not putting too much pressure around the tops of the ears. We think this promises a win, if it can be accomplished. The rubber tips on the temples and at the nose look to effectively prevent slippage. Weighing a claimed 26 grams, the Spinshield should feel pretty light — maybe not even noticeable — even after a few hours in the saddle.
The integrated nosepiece looks to be a departure from Rudy Project’s previous designs which had this contact point as a standalone adjustable/removable part, that could be flexed and positioned to accommodate an individual’s face. We’re interested to see how removing this customizable fit-point will allow for the sunglasses to sit comfortably on the wearer’s face.
The Spinshield frame is wide and tall and offers wraparound coverage, just like current eyewear style trends from Oakley, 100%, and Roka. Rudy Project’s take on eyeshields is notably subtle compared with the goggle-like 100% models, and the temples don’t have a drop in them like the Roka glasses of late. The Spinshield looks just like big sunglasses — maybe not exactly for casual wear, but maybe they could be worn off the bike, which seems like a little easier to do compared with the look of the Roka models we’ve tested.
The Rudy Project Spinshield are available in six different frame and lens combinations. The models with multilaser lenses are available for $159.99 while the models with darkening smoke tinted lenses are $134.99.
Look for a review by VeloNews of the Rudy Project Spinshield here in the coming weeks.