Sikk Shades; stylish sunglasses that are handcrafted in Italy. The SikkShades by Eddie Bauer Jr. brand stands on its own by incorporating breakthroughs in innovative designs with new technology.
Showcasing these innovations are our brands two flagship frames of SikkShades:
The perfectly weighted and balanced Huckleberry, a slightly over-sized wayfarer, and
The classic wraparound design of Qualifier.
In the beginning Eddie Bauer Jr. had no desire to slap his name on someone else's frame and call it his own. He wanted to make great, stylish sunglasses that were durable and fashionable.
Tired of the overpriced monopoly he perceived in the marketplace, he set out to design frames that were: Affordable, and out-performed what was available.
His vision was clear. The road ahead -- not so clear. Looking back, it’s safe to say Eddie had no idea the journey he would travel to realize the dream.
“I knew I wanted sunglasses that were stylish enough, safe enough, and durable enough for outdoor-oriented people to wear during their chosen pursuits.” Eddie Bauer Jr.
The best way to learn their preferences was to ask. Eddie consulted with many, many action sport athletes -- as well as Olympic hopefuls in many disciplines – asking questions and taking notes.
He took those notes to a designer, a man whom Eddie had the good fortune of making friends with. This designer, having helped some of the world’s biggest brands, became a fan of what Eddie was trying to accomplish. With the extensive field research Eddie had performed, he agreed to collaborate.
Their work together then led this project to the doorstep of one of the oldest eyewear manufactures in Italy. They brought my designs to life. Here the Iconic Huckleberry and Qualifier were born.
About design
- Both designs feature perfectly weighted and balanced frames that reduce pressure points and fatigue. Both are fitted with locking quad core hinges that will not bore -- keeping the temples nice and fit.
- During the countless pre-design interviews we knew that once perspiration began, many frames slid down the athlete’s nose. To prevent similar discomfort and irritation of skin against plastic, we fitted SikkShades frames with a flush, padded, nonslip nose cradle.
About the lenses
- In today’s marketplace the word “polarized” helps sell sunglasses. Big brands know that with it comes a pricing premium of typically a hundred bucks or more.
- Polarized lenses vary wildly in quality and construction. Because of this, shades costing under $50 featuring cheap polarized lenses can harm and stress the eyes. Some can make the wearer nauseous.
- The SikkShades technology is Carl Zeiss's Flash Electric Coating. This process infuses the iridium of our lens, which enables it to outperform polarized in many tests measuring glare, clarity, and UV protection.
- The big bonus with SikkShades Flash Electric lenses is that you do not get the prism and distance distortions that come with a polarized lens.
- Those distortions are why pilots, golfers, Olympic snowboarders and accuracy dependent athletes do NOT wear polarized lens. They cannot see instruments or properly judge distance as acutely as they need to in order to sustain top performance.
The final design touch
- The "Sikk Groucho" embedded metal moustache badge is a design icon we added as a classy classic signature of the Eddie Bauer Jr brand that will identify the eyewear line for many years to come.
Testing and distribution
- Now that we have had months of testing – including wind tunnel tests to prove performance – we have samples in inventory and distributors lined up. But in order to grab a greater market footprint and increase public awareness, we need you!
- The big brands do not want to see SikkShades out on the market. Value and performance comparisons will force them to change their performance frame marketing and pricing.
- SikkShades has a large and growing following and will continue to educate the public about sunglass technology.
- The current brand giants don't want people to know the ins and outs of sunglasses. We do. “Yes it would have been easier to just put in polarized lens and follow along but that ain’t my way.
- “My way is to build the glasses the way they should be built, price them so everyone who wants to wear SikkShades can, and trust that a quality value-priced product will always foster reference sales and repeat buyer loyalty.” Eddie Bauer Jr.
- In order to get our contracts with these distributors we can't have hiccups. We must get into production. With just a bit of support from the community we can achieve our next step in the dream: facing off with the giants.
- Retailers are licking their chops to display SikkShades by Eddie Bauer Jr in the window.
How you can help
- To see for yourself, order and test-drive a pair of these cutting edge iconic frames with matching iridium lens at cost –- roughly half of retail price.
- Be first among your friends to be seen with the SikkShades by Eddie Bauer Jr frame on your face, before they hit the mainstream.
- If you would like to support our efforts we have a few of affordable options for any budget.
Join our team today
- We pride ourselves on supporting the underdog -- the privateer scraping enough money to get to the next event or the Olympic hopeful who just needs a bit of assistance getting to the qualifying run – and we have formed alliances with a number of athletes who are at the top of the game or on the verge of breaking out.
- SikkShades has always been and will always continue to give support that will allow these athletes to pursue their dreams. That's what SikkShades are all about: the eyewear of choice for those who live their dreams. In closing, thank you for taking the time to read all this and giving the SikkShades project some thought. Sign up for our emails at our website for specials promo codes. Updates will be abundant (and we won't forget you on your birthday, either). Visit www.SikkShades.com for more information.
- Best of luck always will all of your outdoor pursuits.
