Slade Eyewear

09/26/2025

Do you like aviator/pilot sunglasses? I have a huge selection of big ones, small ones, polarized, non polarized, mirror coated, non mirror coated, simple ones, dramatic ones Elvis would proudly rock.

I have great non prescription ones you can walk out the door wearing today, or I can customize them with lenses of your choice, both prescription and non prescription. And they're always 25% off.

Only At Slade Eyewear

06/20/2025

06/18/2025

Last week I shared a broken 50yr old frame that Nicole insisted she wanted to put her new prescription in. Here is the finished glasses.

I had to do the repair, then install lenses without breaking the vintage frames. I did the repair, some extensive straightening, installed her new digital progressive lenses, and the final touch was a new pair of nose pads. I can't save them all, but I do things others can't or won't.

They're now ready for another 50yrs of service.

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06/12/2025

I had a woman bring in the pictured glasses yesterday. She was referred to me by Dr Kent Hillary, a retired Optometrist.

She wanted me to repair the frame, and install her new prescription in them. After much discouragement, she said she has an attachment to them, and still wanted to do it.

This frame is around 50 years old, so she was warned again about using such a frame. She is not the original owner of the frame, the original owners name is embossed on the temple. It's Dorothy Williams

I successfully repaired the frame today, and am waiting for her lenses, then I get to install them while not breaking the frame I can't replace. Wish me luck.

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05/28/2025

Just wanted to share a pair of glasses I whipped up yesterday for Michelle.

Michelle is the less common far sighted, so she can't see things up close. Her lenses are like extra strong reading glasses.

Michelle took my advice, so we did a very small, roundish frame, and the thinnest lense material available. The results speak for themselves, these turned out exactly as I had hoped.

These are also digital progressives, and have anti-reflective coating to help Michelle look and see her best.

Only At Slade Eyewear

04/29/2025

Green with envy!

Today I share a pair of sunglasses I just made up. This frame did not start life as sunglasses. I took this fun green frame, and turned it into sunglasses by installing some lenses I tinted green to compliment the frame, then put it on my sunglass board.

John picked up on how cool this frame is, so we decided to make it up for him. We decided on some G15 colored lenses, which are gray with some green in it. To make sure John can see well, we used digital progressive polarized lenses.

FYI, sunglasses are 25% off all of the time.

Only At Slade Eyewear

04/26/2025

Vintage goodness!

I had a friend and his wife come in for their first pairs of glasses. She noticed my frame board of vintage frames, pointed at one that interested her. I had her try it on, and she didn't try any others on.

The frame is a new old stock piece, had never been sold. I am not positive, but I think it predates me at Slade Optical. I would guess it is from about 1980 or slightly older.

If you like older, statement glasses, I have plenty more for you to fall in love with too.

The last picture show his glasses too. The fun part is that they share almost, but not quite the same prescription.

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04/02/2025

These are a couple of pairs of glasses I made up this morning.

The top frame is made in Chicago Illinois, the bottom frame in St Louis Missouri. Both companies started making glasses in the 1800's.

Since they are made in the USA, they will not be directly tariffed, but the materials and components are sourced internationally, so they will be taxed, and prices will go up.

My frames made elsewhere, ie China, France and Germany will all be going up too as I buy new product, so hurry in while my inventory is unaffected by tariffs.

Only At Slade Eyewear

01/16/2025

A little lesson for teachers, that can benefit everyone.

I try not to talk too much about prices on the internet, because if I say I am selling $8 eyeglasses, someone says they can get them for $6, but this needs to be talked about.

About a month ago I had a woman come into my office to look for glasses. She told me about her recent experience.

She is a teacher for Dubuque Community School District, which has very good optical benefits, and had recently went to Shopko for an eye exam, and to order glasses.

She showed me her prescription, which had the quote for her glasses on the back (the other writing is artificial tears nfo). She was quoted $903.98 before her insurance, $553.99 was her portion after the insurance, which she paid. They called her when her new glasses were ready. This was her first pair of multifocal (no line bifocal) lenses, and she had a problem adapting to them, and returned them for a refund. Since she had returned them, I didn't have a chance to inspect them to figure out what was wrong with them.

She then spoke to a co-worker that is a customer of mine, who recommended she come talk to me. I helped her pick out a frame, and then fit her for the lenses . The total for a frame made in the USA, and lenses fabricated here in the state of Iowa, and finished in my office was a grand total $480.00. That will be paid in full by her insurance, and she will walk out the door paying me ZERO dollars out of her pocket.

That was a month ago, and she still doesn't have new glasses from me. Why? Shopko filed a claim with her insurance, which now has to be reversed, so her insurance company is waiting to be reimbursed from Shopko. She then will be eligible for me to file a claim, but not until then.

Too many people are of the mentality that chains are always going to be cheaper than a local business, and it simply isn't always the case. A lesson that could cost you $553.99, or maybe more! That's a lot of money, and worth investigating.

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