I did a
Summer Edition "Stuff I Like" post back in June but so now that we're in the depths of summer I thought I'd do a sporty version for those of you who like to do active-type things. The rest of you should read it anyway because some of this stuff definitely translates to sitting around the house in comfort, I promise.
Oakley Sunglasses
A friend of mine with a good connection just gave me a pair of
Oakley Half Jackets and oh my God, you guys. They are so, so good. They are very sporty and I'll probably only be wearing them out on the bike, but had I known how good they were I'd have bought a pair by now. They are feather-light, don't budge, and the polarized lenses make even the low-light sections of trail crisp and clear.
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| nerd selfie |
Of course, now I want a pair of the aviators for every day wear. I went to the Oakley store and really liked
this pair a lot... until I saw
these:
Ooooh. They have snakeskin on the arms! And they fit my small face perfectly. Ugh. So much want.
Zella Leggings
I've been trying to undo myself from the clutches of Lululemon (which hasn't been that hard,
considering) by trying out other brands. I really liked the
Breeze shorts I got from Athleta and I'm hoping they'll come out with a couple of good spin-class-worthy tanks this fall. In the meantime, I took advantage of the
Nordstrom sale to try the wildly popular
Zella Live In Leggings:
They arrived and I have to say, if you're in the need for a pair of good leggings or
capris, you could do a lot worse. And, they come in
plus sizes which is very nice to see. I don't know how much gym use these will get but they are SO comfortable and the material feels good and substantial. Definitely will get a lot of everyday use.
Osprey Hydration Pack
I used to use a fairly minimal Camelbak but the lack of storage and difficulty getting the bladder in and out made me start exploring other options. On a group ride last summer someone recommended Osprey to me and I ended up with
this one:
It's not too heavy and has a million great little features, as well as storage enough to stuff in a lunch and light jacket. The bladder is super easy to deal with and clean. The drawbacks - the waist strap doesn't have loops to hold the extra bits of strap (does that make sense?) and they flap around. I've come up with a hack, but I shouldn't have to, you know? The other issue is the the back panel is pretty stiff and sometimes irritates me. But, everything irritates me, so that's no bigs.
SockGuy
This is no big secret and I'm sure there are better cycling socks out there, but I've been really happy with all my SockGuy socks. They come in a
million ridiculous patterns and wear like iron. They don't have padding or anything but I just keep buying them.
Also! I should mention that the shorter version of these socks are actually perfect with ankle boots because they are invisible and don't slip down under your heel. See? I can make sport things work for everyday things with zero effort. You are welcome.
Now, please tell me what sporty crap you like in the comments so I feel less alone.
