Costa Shades

On the river and beyond, Costa shades always deliver.

words:: Todd Lawson

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” The late, great Helen Keller penned this quote and while it makes us think about the amazing summer days of the last few months, it holds true for any time of season. But what does it have to do with sunglasses? Well, or starters, try keeping your face to the sun without them. Not so recommended. What we do recommend, however, are Costa shades.

The Costa birthing story goes like this: In 1983, a group of hardcore fishermen who spent their days exploring the globe and battling extreme elements came to realize that the sunglasses they were relying on weren’t as hardcore as their adventures. Seeing the world in absolute clarity and protecting their eyes was a must. So when they couldn’t find worthy sunglasses, they decide to build their own. And Costa was born.

Built for speed AND for comfort—our Creative Director, Amelie can attest.

Some of the ML crew were lucky enough to connect with the like-minded, outdoor-loving crew at COSTA this summer. They wanted us to give their sunglasses a proper, out-in-the-field test to see how they stand up in the West Coast elements. The end result? We were pretty damn stoked to have them on our faces all summer long.

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Here’s what some members of our team had to say:

“My favorite thing about them is for sure the lenses; clear, crisp, the tint is calming and they just feel like I am being protected. I also appreciate the lightweight aspect of the frames and how the arms have that bit of extra spring when stretched out, prevents the classic arm-snapping issues.

The arms also fit my head well, the glasses stayed bomber throughout a vigourous trail run. (i almost puked, ha!)

His name might be Feet, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like to protect his face (and look good while he’s at it).

Pretty stylish frame shape helps too. I can’t wait to take these glasses fishing, but i’m happy to wear them for a trip to the city too.”–Feet Banks, Editor, Mountain Life Coast Mountains

“It’s always nice to have ONE pair of shades that ticks all of the boxes. Good fit, comfortable on the face and you can wear them for any sport at any time. I feel like my Costas fit the bill here. I wear them every single day. “—Todd Lawson, ML Photo Editor
 
“Their fit is sublime, especially under my mountain bike helmet. I forget that I wear them!”—Amelie Legare, ML Creative Director
Costa says it best on their website. “We build the best sunglasses on the planet for those who live to be on the water. Born on the water and we’re still inspired by it. We want to be on it, we want to protect it, and we want to inspire others to do the same.

After all these years and all these adventures, our mission has never wavered: to create the best sunglasses on the planet for life’s great adventures. And the patented technology like those found only in Costa lenses and frames are proof that we’re succeeding. —ML