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All This for Just ¥2,999! TIGORA's Sports Glasses and Their Pursuit of a 'Stay-Put' Fit
People look for many things in sunglasses, from design and lens performance to the overall fit. But when it comes to sports sunglasses, the most essential feature is arguably their ability to stay put.
The "Sports Glasses" from TIGORA, Alpen's private label brand, are a testament to perfecting this fundamental quality. Re-engineered from the ground up with running in mind, this model features an Asian-fit design tailored to Japanese facial structures. Combined with a lightweight frame and silicone nose pads, they promise a stable, comfortable fit even during vigorous exercise.
Amazingly, the price tag is just ¥2,999. How did they manage to achieve such a superior fit and practicality at such an affordable price? Based on our interview with Kenji Miyazawa from Alpen Co., Ltd., let's uncover the secret behind them.
PROFILE
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Kenji Miyazawa
Alpen Co., Ltd.
Chief, Planning & Design Group, Bags & Accessories Division
Joined the company in 1998. After a stint in retail, he spent 17 years in production management for bags and other items, starting in 2006. From 2023, he took on a planning role, overseeing the equipment planning and development for products like sunglasses, high-summer items, and fitness gear. He has a hands-on development style, using his extensive knowledge from years in gear production management to personally finalize product specifications.
Alpen's Legacy in Sports Glasses
TIGORA is Alpen's private label brand."With the concept of 'making sports more accessible,' we leverage the expertise we've gained in sports like golf and skiing to create products that offer a blend of functionality, design, and affordable prices."
Within the brand's extensive lineup, which includes everything from competitive apparel to shoes, sunglasses are a key category.
"Due to environmental changes where intense heat and strong sunlight have become the norm, the need to protect one's eyes has increased in recent years, boosting the demand for sports sunglasses."
Alpen actually has a long history of involvement in this category.
"We have been developing sports sunglasses for over 30 years. For the TIGORA line, we began a full-scale push around 2020, and for the 2025 model year, we conducted a complete redesign of our in-house developed sports glasses."
A Stay-Put Fit Engineered for Japanese Faces
The primary focus of this development was achieving a 'stay-put' fit that proves its worth even while running."Many conventional sunglasses were originally based on frames designed for Western faces, so they didn't always fit Japanese facial structures well, particularly around the height of the nose and the width of the face. That's why we revisited the design to tailor it to Asian bone structures."
The first area we tackled was the nosepiece design. To prevent the lenses from touching the cheeks or eyelashes, we designed a higher mount for the nose pads, creating more space between the lens and the face. We also adopted a wider, rounded shape to fit the bridge of a typical Japanese nose, using the broad 'surface' of the soft silicone pads to distribute weight evenly. The surface itself was also finely tuned to prevent slipping, even when sweating.
"We envisioned glasses that wouldn't slip during activities with a lot of vertical motion, like running. We also built them to withstand side-to-side movements, making them versatile enough for a wide range of activities, including winter sports."
To further boost this stability, we also redesigned the temples.
"We designed the temples to be thin where they pass the temples of the head, and gave the temple tips a gentle curve that wraps from behind the ears toward the back of the head. This structure cradles the head, preventing the glasses from lifting up even during intense movement."
Additionally, the inside of the temple tips are fitted with TPE rubber to enhance grip.
The frames are made from a resin material called TR90.
"TR90 is a material that flexes easily and has a memory-like quality, allowing it to adapt to different face widths without squeezing too tightly. It's also lightweight, durable, and resistant to degradation, making it ideal for sports."
To bring this design to life, it underwent repeated rounds of prototyping and testing until it was perfected.
"We crafted over 10 mock samples to fine-tune the thickness and flexibility of the temples and to pinpoint the exact support position on the head. We also produced nearly 10 nose pad prototypes, adjusting the height and angle to perfectly suit Japanese facial structures. Furthermore, we conducted field tests, focusing on running, to confirm the final finish performs in real-world conditions."
Beyond just a superior fit, the glasses feature polarized lenses to dramatically boost visual quality.
"By cutting glare from surfaces like roads, grass, water, and snow, they reduce visual 'noise,' making it easier to spot uneven terrain or wet patches while running. In ball games, this means you can track the ball and the action around you more clearly."
The lineup is organized by activity. The main "Sports Glass (Sport)" collection offers both single-lens and dual-lens styles. The single-lens version, with its continuous lens, provides excellent wind and sun protection, making it ideal for high-speed sports like running and cycling.
On the other hand, the dual-lens style, with its separate left and right lenses, is celebrated for its lightweight and natural feel, making it perfect for extended activities such as golf and walking.
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TIGORA’s Strategy: Achieving Pro-Level Specs for ¥2,999
TIGORA’s market position is crystal clear. The current sports sunglasses market is polarized between cheap, low-quality options and expensive, big-name brands. In the lower price bracket, it’s rare to find a product that delivers high satisfaction, especially in terms of fit. As a result, serious athletes often feel forced to shell out for high-end models."That's why TIGORA aimed for the 'sweet spot'—that gap between the big-brand products over ¥10,000 and the budget options under ¥2,000—and set the price at ¥2,999."
So, how did they pull off this incredible price? There are three key reasons.
"First, we handle everything in-house—from planning, development, and manufacturing to logistics and sales. By cutting out intermediaries like trading companies and distributors, we eliminate middleman costs.
Second, leveraging the sales power of the Alpen Group and its network of roughly 400 stores nationwide, we can mass-produce through bulk purchasing. This dramatically lowers the cost of materials like frames and lenses.
And third, as a private brand, we can reach customers directly through our own retail stores and e-commerce platform, which means we don't have to spend on advertising."
For TIGORA, the idea of "high value" is about more than just a low price.
"Our goal was to pack features normally reserved for high-end models—like TR90 frames, silicone pads, lightweight polarized lenses, and an Asian-fit design—into a 'truly functional' product and offer it for just ¥2,999."
Delivering "truly usable performance" at such an accessible price point is an approach that could raise the bar for what consumers expect from sports sunglasses everywhere.
Text by Ryota Osujo
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