Reviewing goggles is a bit retarded. If anything, I should be writing you a Guide to Picking Goggles because, to be honest, if goggles don’t fit you properly, then they don’t work worth a shit. And since all goggle companies make different fitting goggles, then there is a chance that you might love the looks and technical specs of a pair only to find that they fit like yoga pants on a Walmart patron. Fortunately, Oakley tries to please everyone by offering a regular-sized frame in addition to an Asian fit sizing for, well, Asians, and probably small women, horse jockies and children.
From what I can tell, the JP Auclair signature Crowbar is no different from any other Crowbar other than the fact that it has map of the Tokyo subway map on the strap and frame, plus a badass Fire Iridium tinted lens. Auclair’s affinity for the city of Tokyo is shown by this gesture, a graphic element that works surprisingly well. The Oakley site claims the Crowbar are designed for medium faces. I guess I have a medium face because I found the performance was great. They don’t fog often, and when they do (I sweat like the above-mentioned Walmart patron), they can be cleared up easily by lifting the frame and letting a little air in. The iridium lens works wonders in high-alpine, sunny environments, and surprisingly well in low light, although I’d recommend a persimmons lens for the best results on dark days.
Naturally, Oakley uses all sorts of trademarked marketese to convince you they have some amazing technology (remember Unobtanium?). But let’s be honest, if you like the way it looks (I did) and it fits your face (it did), then buy it (I didn’t). If the Crowbar model doesn’t fit, do yourself a favour and try out some other models. After all, goggles are one of the singlemost important pieces of equipment you will use. The right pair of goggles shouldn’t even be noticed by you if they do their job, but with goggles that look this badass, you’re bound to get noticed by everyone else. – Mike Berard