born for runners its here

When it comes to Italy, the first impression people usually have, aside from tourism, is luxury goods. This is because, in our minds, many of the world's luxury brands originate from this European country, such as Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, and others. However, when we take a closer look at the geographical location of this country with a population of only 60 million, we find that it boasts the Alps and the Apennines, providing an excellent environment for sports. This has given rise to numerous well-known sports brands, including the one we are discussing today, Rudy Project.

Rudy Project is a world-leading manufacturer of sports equipment and a global leader in sports prescription eyewear. Its product range mainly includes professional sports glasses, sports prescription glasses, fashionable sunglasses, and sports helmets. Since 2016, Rudy Project has officially entered the Chinese market. In just a few years, it has focused on key sports such as triathlon, cycling, and skiing as entry points, gradually expanding into running, trail running, golf, and motorcycling.

As we approach 2020, Rudy Project's newly planned #Run The One# runner program has already started to spread globally. Recently, it released its 2020 new product—the Propulse sports running glasses—as part of this initiative. As a signed KOL (Key Opinion Leader) for Rudy Project, I was among the first to receive the exclusive THE ONE limited edition gift box. THE ONE is not currently available for sale, but its appearance and specifications are identical to the commercial version, with differences only in color and packaging.

The outer packaging of THE ONE features a black-and-white color scheme. The black side prominently displays 'THE ONE,' with a high level of recognition, especially the runner image inside the 'O,' clearly indicating the product's primary use and positioning. The white side is more minimalist, mainly featuring renderings of the glasses and accompanying gifts.

Why is this called a limited edition gift box? You'll understand once you open the packaging. The first thing you'll see is the main attraction—the Propulse running glasses. The glasses in THE ONE come with multi-layer coated orange lenses, and the frame features an exclusive gold color. However, this gold color doesn't look gaudy at all.

Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised to find a race number belt inside the gift box, printed with the Rudy Project logo. This needs no further explanation; runners are likely familiar with it. You can refer to the picture below for its effect after use.

Of course, as with previous gift boxes, it also includes a glasses storage bag. The material and feel are quite good, and it can also be used as a cleaning cloth for the glasses. However, it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't come with a hard glasses case. Since we often travel for competitions, glasses can easily get squashed in a bag, so having a protective case is quite important.

Generally speaking, we can evaluate a good pair of glasses using six criteria: design, comfort, lightness, breathability, fit, and durability. Let's examine how the Italian-made Propulse running glasses perform in these six aspects.

As mentioned earlier, the frame of the glasses uses a gold color and has a matte finish, giving it a strong metallic feel. The frame is made from a one-piece TR memory material, a high-polymer material with memory properties. It is currently the most popular ultra-light frame material internationally, known for its super toughness, impact resistance, wear resistance, and low friction coefficient. It effectively prevents injuries to the eyes and face caused by frame breakage or friction during sports. It is also resistant to deformation even in high-temperature environments and can withstand temperatures up to 350 degrees Celsius for short periods.

In addition to the frame, the product also features RPOPTICS high-performance optical lenses, which incorporate Rudy Project's top technology. These lenses can adjust the wavelength of light passing through them to optimize visible light, restore true images to the greatest extent, enhance contrast, avoid color distortion, and reduce glare. They also minimize UV radiation to the user's eyes. The lenses have a multi-layer coating with a light transmittance of 21.9%, suitable for various weather conditions, and effectively repel water. When rain or sweat lands on the lens surface, it quickly slides off, ensuring clear vision without water stains.

We also found that the Propulse glasses are equipped with a new ventilation control system. The frame and lenses feature extensive hollow designs, likely aimed at reducing the overall weight of the product and enhancing ventilation. We know that sweating during running is inevitable. If the glasses become humid and stuffy or obscure vision due to excessive sweating, it can affect the wearer. The 18-hole ventilation design ensures that moisture around the eyes is quickly expelled, keeping the entire process dry and comfortable.

The product features a one-piece frame with a wraparound half-frame design that fits perfectly with the head. It also has adjustable rubber nose pads and temple tips, which are non-slip and do not easily fall off, while not exerting uncomfortable pressure on the head.

The Propulse glasses still use a quick-release lens design, allowing users to easily and quickly change lenses in the shortest time. However, no spare lenses are provided in the packaging. Since the product supports custom lenses for prescriptions below 600 degrees, I personally believe the quick-release feature is designed for this group of users.

The combination of the TR memory material frame, RPOPTICS optical lenses, and 18-hole ventilation design makes the Propulse glasses weigh only 27 grams. When worn, they are almost unnoticeable, reducing the burden of weight.

Recently, I've had a busy competition schedule, especially a while ago, with one race per week (three full marathons and one 100-kilometer trail run), which left me quite exhausted. Now, I'm mainly focusing on slow runs for recovery. Since I am nearsighted, I sometimes choose to wear contact lenses and then a pair of Rudy sports glasses, as sports glasses provide excellent protection for my eyes.

When I first put on the Propulse glasses, my initial impression was how light they felt. Although I could feel their weight, there was no sense of restriction or burden. Especially during running, where the body moves up and down, the weight of the Propulse glasses is not enough to cause them to bounce with the motion. Of course, the fit and comfort of the product are not solely due to its lightness. The one-piece wraparound half-frame design also plays a crucial role. When the fit is not sufficient, we can adjust the nose pads and temple tips to make them more snug and comfortable.

As we all know, the reasons we choose to wear sports glasses include reducing glare, minimizing UV radiation, protecting against wind and dust, lowering visual temperature, and tactical needs. Therefore, the importance of glasses is self-evident.

One morning, I ran to the Shandong University of Technology stadium to meet friends for a run. Although it was still dark when I set out, I habitually chose to wear my glasses just in case. My home is quite far from the stadium, about 12 kilometers, and I ran another 15 kilometers with my friends. For most of the run, the glasses were perched on my head. Initially, I was worried that the glasses might slide down due to loose temple tips or cause headaches if they were too tight. However, despite varying speeds and a lot of sweat on my forehead, the glasses remained unaffected, neither wobbling nor falling off.

I must say, the glasses do an excellent job of filtering light. During a midday slow run, they effectively reduced the sun's glare, allowing the wearer to maintain focus.

What do you think about when you run? Is it for health, the pursuit of speed, the feeling of wind and freedom? Or is it to see the world, measure every inch of land, or meet a better version of yourself through running? Whatever it is, I hope everyone can stay true to their original intentions.

Now, the Rudy China #Run The One# runner program is about to start. Our big family is opening its doors to welcome you. Are you ready?