Salice 807 Nordic Flip Sunglasses review

Fri, Mar  7, 2014 - By Mike Muha

They arrived just before the White Pine Stampede. Even though you shouldn't try something new in a race, they were so cool looking that I had to wear them. Ha! I won the 20k Classic wearing them!

Of course, I'm talking about the Salice 807 Nordic Flip Sunglasses sold by Salice USA. Like the older Salice Nordic Shields or Casco Nordic Shields, the Salice 807's lens pivots at the temples so you can flip up the lens as needed - nice when you're talking to people or prepping skis. The lens do not need to rest on the nose like conventional sunglasses; rather, they can float over the nose and cheeks, hanging from the frame. This allows much greater ventilation than possible with any conventional sunglasses.

Unlike the older Nordic Shields, the Salice 807 look fast and slick - they are much more stylish and aerodynamic.

The Salice 807 Nordic Flip Sunglasses feature:

• A UV400 lens rating that protects 100% against UVA, B and C rays
• Anti-glare lens coating
• A super smooth surface that repels water and dust
• Two interchangeable lenses:
  • A Black Category 1 lens for bright sunny days
  • A Red Category 2 lens for snowy or cloudy conditions, or for night skiing

So how did they perform?

The White Pine Stampede was cold - temperatures were in the low to mid teens with very little wind, but the humidity was high. The first half of the 20K was mostly downhill, but the second half consisted of many long and/or steep climbs. With the cold conditions, climbing was slow and labored, just the kind of racing that causes you to get hot, with moist warm air rolling up off your chest and into your sunglasses. During the first three quarters of the race, the dark lens performed admirably - they were comfortable and there was no fogging. I did fog up during the final climbs in the race, however. I later determined that it was poor technique that caused this problem: I had dropped by head and was staring at my skis rather than looking ahead. (Actually, my tongue was nearly dragging on the snow as I struggled to climb some of the hills).

I later races and in training - once I figured out I needed to look forward and not down - I did not have any fogging issues, even in races with single digit temperatures.

Like the older Nordic Shields, if you are just standing around in the cold talking to people, your breath can cause fogging. Just flip up the lens then drop them back down when you start skiing again.

There were several races with cloudy conditions or a mixture of sun and clouds. The red lens definitely made the snow brighter under an overcast sky. When the sun came out, they still provided comfortable shade. I did not test their night-time capabilities.

I found that if I scrunched my face, my cheeks would push the lens up a fraction of an inch. It didn't cause any visibility problems, but I had to manually push the lens down again. I think this is due to the closer fit of the Salice 807 over the older Nordic Shields.

Overall, these are great glasses and I would highly recommend them. Even better, Salice USA is have an end-of-season 2-for-the-price-of-1 sale! The normal price is $129.95. Find a friend and you each get a pair for $65 (plus tax and shipping).