The following review was written by trail runner and ATRA gear wrangler Sarah Barber and features Bollé Victus Pro Sunglasses. Gear was provided at no charge for the test and review.
Unless you’re a sommelier, most blind wine tastings conclude that the main difference between a fine vintage and two-buck chuck is the price tag. But, fermented grape juice is just one example of an item whose budget-conscious version is nearly as acceptable as its high-dollar counterpart. Generic ibuprofen meets the same FDA standards as Advil. Baking soda doesn’t need to be armed or hammered in order to make bread rise. And for the longest time, I thought this was also true for sunglasses. As long as they block the UV rays, paying more for shades just means a bigger hit to the Mastercard—especially when they inevitably get lost somewhere out on the trail.
Barber at the Boston Marathon in 2025 sporting her Victus Pro Sunglasses.
Bollé Victus: Choose your adventure
French company Bollé would beg to differ, however, and after a few outings with their newly released Victus Pro sunglasses, I might be more apt to drop some serious coin on specs from now on. The Victus Pro frames come equipped with either Bolle’s Phantom photochromic lens or their high-contrast Volt lens—choose your own adventure based on your needs. I sampled the Phantom lens which was my first experience with a photochromic shield in front of my eyes.
Although I immediately liked the look and feel of the Victus Pro frames, which have adjustable temples and nose-piece and weigh less than a few AAA batteries, I wondered if the Phantom lens would leave me squinting into the sunrise. Right out of the box they looked absolutely clear—no tint at all! Could they possibly get dark enough to be effective?
Photochromic lenses
But, Bollé has been making sunglasses for over a century and certainly doesn’t deserve skepticism from someone (me) who didn’t understand how photochromic lenses work until I asked Google. My effort to educate myself revealed that said lenses might require a little patience when transitioning between indoors and outdoors. A reversible chemical reaction occurs at a molecular level within the lens material when exposed to ultraviolet light. The speed of that reaction can be affected by the temperature and the intensity of the UV rays. Still, according to Bollé’s website, the impact-resistant and anti-fog Phantom lens provide “100% UV protection” without sacrificing optical clarity. They’re performing their essential job function even if they don’t look like the mirrored aviators made popular by Top Gun.
I’ve worn contact lenses since I was in 8th grade, so I’ve never experimented with prescription lenses in sunglasses, but the Victus Pro frames allow for that option, too. The adjustability pretty much guarantees a perfect fit, and I found that Bollé’s patented Thermogrip rubber at the temples and on the nose kept the specs in place even as I bounced down rock ledges and hopped across creeks. But, back to my original question: could they possibly get dark enough to be effective? The answer is yes… barely. The Phantom lens darkened enough to keep my orbicularis oculi muscles relaxed (those are the ones responsible for eye closing and squinting) while every other muscle in my body navigated the singletrack beneath my feet. Would I have preferred a darker lens? If I was at the beach, yes. But, on a trail run that includes forested shady sections, or for an ultra that includes unlit hours, having a lens that changes in response to the environment is clearly a desirable feature.
Barber tests the sunglasses at Fenway Park.
Testing expanded to the ball park
One other place where the Victus Pro’s photochromic lens worked well was at Fenway Park. While enroute to the Boston Marathon, my group detoured through a Red Sox game the day before. Although our seats were exposed to bright sun, bathrooms and concessions were in the dimly lit bowels of the stadium. Since I didn’t need to remove my sunglasses in order to find my way through the maze, I didn’t need to worry about losing them. Instead, I was free to focus on my pre-marathon carb-loading game…ballpark franks and Cracker Jack®? Why not!
Bollé Victus Pro Sunglasses MSRP: $240
Editor’s Note: To read more articles and reviews by Sarah Barber, visit this link.
