Smith Motive Review

A front view of the Smith Motive sunglasses. All photos: iRunFar/Alli Hartz

Over a six-week period from May to July, I spent more than 80 hours wearing the Smith Motive ($175 to 185) sunglasses while running, biking, rock climbing, and ski touring. Living in Bend, Oregon, means spending a lot of time in bright sunlight, especially during summer months when the region rarely sees precipitation. Late spring and early summer in this high-elevation desert environment are also characterized by perfect conditions for every outdoor activity. The dirt is tacky, the rivers are frothing, the snow is in a steady corn cycle, and the rock has good friction! And since it’s Bend, the beer is flowing, too. In short, it’s the ideal time of year for putting athletic sunglasses to the test.

I tested the Smith Motive across a variety of activities and conditions, including a late spring snowstorm on Mount Hood and the first major heat wave of the year in Bend. I skied, rode gravel, rock climbed, and ran — and yes, even sat outside at a local brewery — in these shades. The Smith Motive sunglasses have an actual weight of 29 grams, include two interchangeable lenses, and come with a fabric pouch and a hard case for storing.

Read on to see how they performed, and take a look at our guide to the best sunglasses for running to see how the Smith Motive compares to other iRunFar favorites.

Smith Motive Frame and Fit

The Smith Motive sunglasses are designed with a medium fit, meaning they fit a wide range of average-sized faces, but they’ll likely be too big for small faces and too small for large faces. My face and head are somewhere in the middle, so these frames fit me really well. The nose pads line up exactly with the bridge of my nose, though unlike some sunglasses, these don’t come with interchangeable pieces for different nose shapes. To help you determine whether these sunnies will fit your face, Smith’s website displays the Motive’s full sizing details and dimensions.

A side view of the Smith Motive sunglasses.

The lens has a slight wraparound design that provides coverage above and to either side of my eyes, which I appreciated during spring ski tours when I was in the alpine and getting reflected sunlight from every angle. The Motive has a modern, slightly oversized, and speedy-looking half-frame style, which seems to be the trend right now. Nevertheless, what got me reaching for the Motive again and again was how they perform.

For one, these frames sit away from my face, which allows airflow and prevents fogging. I can think of one or two occasions where the lenses got a bit of condensation or sweat on them, but they never fogged up and my view never became obscured. This was huge for me — even my previous favorite sunglasses would occasionally fog during speed workouts.

Next, thanks to a slightly grippy material along the nose and temples, the Motive does a really good job staying put, even during bumpy hill workouts. One of my favorite running workouts involves downhill-into-uphill intervals, and while the Motive bounced slightly as I pounded down the steep trail, it never slid down my nose or shifted out of position. I also noticed that these sunglasses never caused discomfort behind my ears or led to headaches after many hours of use. Finally, these glasses feel comfortable when paired with a biking, skiing, or climbing helmet.

Smith Motive Lens

The Chromapop lens is a standout feature of the Smith Motive, and the primary reason for its high price tag. However, I’ve never experienced any other glasses with the high-definition lens clarity of Chromapop. When I look through these lenses, I can see sharper detail than with my own eyes.

The Smith Motive sunglasses and case.

This lens clarity is thanks to the Chromapop technology, which filters color wavelength crossovers. Whereas the natural eye has difficulty separating blue, red, and green wavelengths where they cross over, Smith’s Chromapop lens creates sharper contrast without altering the natural colors of your surroundings. The result is that I can see incredible detail without any distortions, including color. I can feel my eyes relax when I look through these lenses.

The Smith Motive has a few different Chromapop lens options with visible light transmission ranging from 10 to 15%, which means that all the lenses are designed for medium-bright to sunny days. Since I knew I’d use these for skiing as well as running, I opted for a polarized, dark neutral gray lens with 10% visible light transmission, which reduces sun glare (off snow and water) and is well-suited to bright, sunny days. This lens performed well in alpine environments on clear days, even on snow (though glacier glasses are a better choice on very bright days), during midday runs in Bend, and on a 48-mile shadeless gravel ride in Eastern Oregon.

Testing the Smith Motive sunglasses while biking.

I was also impressed with how well the lens performed in shaded, forested environments. This lens is not too dark under the forest canopy. In fact, the only situation I even noticed the lens was while moving fast through dappled light — for example, on my mountain bike or skiing through trees. When moving quickly in and out of sun and shade, my eyes had trouble adapting to the changing light. That said, the only sunglasses I’ve known to perform well in this type of light are ones with clear lenses or perhaps photochromic lenses, though even those have a slight delay.

On this note, the Smith Motive comes with a set of clear lenses, and changing the lenses out is quick and extremely easy to do. I’ve been primarily using the Chromapop lens, though I’m certain I’ll use the clear ones more frequently on overcast days during fall and winter, especially for mountain biking and ski-mountaineering racing.

Smith Motive Overall Impressions

After more than 80 hours on my bike and skis, and in my running shoes, I continue reaching for the Smith Motive. I loved the sharp clarity of the dark neutral gray Chromapop lens as soon as I slid it over my eyes. Additionally, even though I try to be careful with my sunglasses, I inevitably drop them or have no choice but to stuff them in my running hydration vest or in the top of my climbing pack. Despite my lapses in care, these lenses have resisted scratches and smudges.

The author testing the Smith Motive sunglasses on a run with a four-legged friend.

Fancy lenses are only great if they don’t fog up and if the frames are comfortable for many hours at a time. The Smith Motive checks both boxes. They feel nearly weightless and supremely comfortable on my average-sized face, and they’ve never squeezed my nose or the bony area behind my ears, nor slid or bounced during sweaty hill workouts. Although the Smith Motive comes with a hefty price tag, if you’re looking to invest in some quality frames and top-end lenses, these sunglasses are worth your consideration.

Call for Comments

• What are your go-to athletic sunglasses for all of your outdoor activities?
• Do you think high-quality lenses are worth the investment?