Bolle Kicker and Kickback Sunglasses Review

I own a pair of Oakleys that are so old I can’t even figure out what model they are (I think they’re similar to the Fives 2.0 series). Anyway, I have kept them for so long because I can’t seem to find another pair that will take their place. I love their gold iridium lenses and it seems that no other company makes something similar (or as good).

Until Bollé. Their line of “Action Golf’ sunglasses is quite nice, so I decided to try them. I tried two models, the Kicker and the Kickback. To test them out, I’ve been wearing them on the golf course and around town the past few weeks to see if they’re worth replacing my old ones. Bollé claims that “when you see like a pro, you putt for the dough.” If that’s the case, count me in.

I mean, Sergio Garcia is wearing them, so why shouldn’t I?

Look and Style
The Kickbacks (at right) are rimless frames and have oval-ish EagleVision 2 Dark (amber color) lenses. They look quite classy. These sunglasses look good when wearing a suit or a polo shirt. They’re the more versatile of the two and my personal favorite of their “Action Golf” line.

The Kickers (image below) have a sporty look with more square and angular lenses. These are also rimless frames and the EagleVision 2 Dark lenses. I would only wear these on the course. They seem like something that should be worn in a triathlon, with their wrap-around style. When I wore these with a mock-turtleneck golf shirt (like Tiger), I have to admit I looked awfully svelte.

The Kickers are slightly larger, and even with the ego boost these sunglasses provided, I can’t say my head swelled enough to fit into them as comfortably. The Kickbacks fit my head a little better, and when showing the glasses to my girlfriend she commented that the Kickbacks looked better on my face. A quick search on the internet showed that a general rule of thumb for picking out glasses is if you have a round face, try square glasses and if you have a square face, try round glasses. I don’t know that to be true, but the Kicker lenses looked well on my face (and I’d say I have some angular features). Similarly, the Kickers looked better on my friend’s fat rounder (jolly?) face.

Functionality
Like I said earlier, I was looking to find amber lenses in my new sunglasses. Both the Kickers and Kickbacks came with golden lenses, called the EagleVision 2 Dark. According to the Bollé website, “EagleVision 2 lenses enhance contrast at the green part of the color spectrum, helping you see breaks in the green and reducing annoying glare.” I was amazed at how the colors were more vivid and noticed that without sunglasses, the shape of the hills and color of the fairways and rough all blend in together.

One thing that has bothered me about other sunglasses is that when it’s hot, they slide down my nose. Both the Kicker and the Kickback have rubber nose pieces and snug-fitting ear pieces that stay put on my head. I did some shaking (or head banging) while wearing them and they didn’t move. (And yes, I looked and felt quite ridiculous.)

Both the Kicker and Kickbacks can be purchased with the EagleVision 2 (gold/yellow lenses) or the EagleVision 2 Dark (amber lenses). The technology in the lenses is quite sophisticated. Each version of the EagleVision has polarization, UVA/UVB protection, polycarbonate lenses and an anti-reflective coating. Details of the lenses can be found at Bollé Lens Technology section of their website. My preference is the EagleVision 2 Dark.

The frames are also well-engineered, offering absorber hinges, adjustable nose pads, spring hinges and flex-grip ear pieces. Frame technology detail can be found at Bollé Frame Technology section of their website.

Durability
I’ve always been a bit skeptical about the durability of wire rims. I always worry about getting them bent out of shape from being in a golf bag or rolling around a golf cart. Much to my surprise, both pairs passed the toughest test of all – being in a golf bag, in the trunk of a car and on the bottom of four other bags. They escaped scratch free and maintained their shape.

Extras and Other
Both pairs of sunglasses come with a carry bag and cloth to clean the lenses, which are very nice. I did find it difficult to carry the sunglasses in the carry bag. When folded up, neither pair fit in a pocket or would fold flat to save space.

I was unable to find the Kicker and the Kickback on Bollé’s on-line store, but did some browsing on the web and found them on the web at estimated prices of $99. You can purchase both models at various online retailers.

Conclusion
Like I said before, I preferred the Kickbacks over the Kickers. I’m a fan of versatility. I’d rather own one pair of sunglasses that I can wear everywhere versus owning one pair to golf in and one pair to wear to work. I’m not sure the Kickbacks will replace my Oakleys just yet, but they’re sure to give them a run for their money.

And like Corey Hart says, “don’t mess around with a guy in shades, oh no.”