I am not sure whether Theo Pretorius saw one of my finish line photos and thought that I needed a sunglasses upgrade or whether he was just concerned for my safety when running in KwaZulu Natal and wanted to give me more anonymity. Regardless, he popped me a message saying that his company has just launched a new running sunglasses brand called Boonies together with the offer, “Would you like to try a couple of pairs?”
There are three different styles (Swift, Glance and Performance) and a range of coloured lenses to choose from that will match any club kit . Luckily, I have some fashionistas in my household so I got my daughters to help me pick the best pairs for my face (which they told me was a challenge). We ended up selecting the Swift in Green and Performance in Ice Blue (which they figured would accessorise best with my Fourways Road Runners club colours.
All the lenses are polarised (and are made in the same factory as Red Bull, Naked and Hurley glasses), have high impact resistance, UV400 protection and are anti scratch. Likewise, the frames are made from TR90* materials for all ranges. The difference is in the shape of the lenses which are ‘curvature’ for the Performance range and ‘prismatic’ for the Swift and Glance. The Swift and Glance have a bigger lens as well as a full top frame (with the former having a black and the latter a white frame).
* I expect, like me, you also have no idea what TR90 (Thermoplastic Resin) materials are. I asked ChatGPT for some help, “TR90 is often used in high-quality sports glasses, fashion eyewear, and kids’ frames due to its durability and comfort.”
After ordering, the glasses arrived via courier the next day just in time for my afternoon run. I took the Performance pair out for their first trot and was immediately impressed with the clarity and sharpness of the lenses as well as their snug fit. Depending on which cap I am wearing, I sometimes find that my existing running glasses can ‘bounce’ a bit but the Boonies were secure from the first step.
The Swift pair have also had a good few runs around the north of Johannesburg and, despite being a larger lens, are just as comfortable. Both pairs are light but sturdy. Personally, I prefer the smaller, frameless design of the Performance pair and they were comfortable for the better part of 5 hours as I cruised around the Bluff for their maiden marathon.
When I asked Pretorius what differentiates Boonies from the other brands on the market he replied, “Boonies are ultra-light and high impact so they don’t move around when you are busy and the sweat doesn’t accumulate in the glasses.” And I can confirm that that is not just marketing hype. He continued, “We are competing against some global giants and our price point is below the big players whilst our quality is equal if not better, so we have seriously high hopes and expectations for Boonies.”
As for how Pretorius arrived on the name Boonies, Pretorius said, “We knew we wanted ultra-light and high impact sunglasses that could be worn for any and all outdoor activities.” However, they were struggling to find a brand name until hearing a chance radio story involving a character called Boon whereafter they hit on the idea of Boonies, “Which is in part a tribute to the character of cricketer David Boon.”
Now this might seem like a bit of a dubious decision given the relationship between the Proteas and the Australian cricket side (‘Warnies’ would definitely have been red flagged). However, David Boon is one of those legendary characters who has seemed to gain universal acclaim, if not for his batting ability but for purportedly setting the world record of 52 beers drunk on the flight from Sydney to London in 1989 (which is part of cricket folklore). I for one am happy to toast Boon’s achievement with a few beers of my own after completing a marathon.
Perhaps the best compliment that the glasses can receive is to be given the thumbs up by my teenage daughters! My eldest likes to take ‘hideous’ 0.5 lens iPhone photographs of me which accentuates my already prominent nose – some fashion shot examples are above (and I can tell you that these look a lot better than the non-glasses shots). I also earned a Boonies-wearing Instagram post on her account boasting “My dad is an icon!” (and I did check that the glasses made me iconic and that she wasn’t being ironic!).
Boonies retail for between R1699 and R1999 online at: https://www.boonies.co.za/
Delivery is free and they currently have a launch promotion with 15% off all sunglasses (which increases to 20% if you buy two or more pairs).
Disclaimer: Whilst the sunglasses were provided for this review, this is not a paid review or endorsement.
Follow Running Mann:
The look great and seem to perform very well. There should be a good world wide market for them, as people these days are opting for a more active and healthier lifestyle.