Seohae optical shop: running goggles and Zeiss exams, Hwangseonsaeng

I'd been looking into getting a pair of sports goggles for running lately. That's how I ended up hearing about Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong, an optical shop in Seohae, Incheon, through a friend's recommendation. It also happened to be around the time my regular glasses started feeling subtly off, like the lenses weren't quite right anymore. Since they had a range of sports goggles, I figured I'd go check those out and get my current glasses looked at while I was at it.

If you're coming from the underground parking lot, head to SK Leaders View mall, A-dong, then out to the B1 floor.

How many frames does Hwangseonsaeng carry?

Walking into the Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong Ruwon City branch, my first thought was, "There are seriously so many frames here." The space itself is fairly large too, with frames displayed all over, so it was easy to browse at a leisurely pace.

What especially caught my eye were the frames organized by price tier — ₩10,000, ₩30,000, ₩50,000, ₩70,000, ₩90,000. When there are this many frames, it can actually get overwhelming trying to pick one, but being able to settle on a budget first and then compare designs within that range made choosing a lot easier. They also run seasonal discount events, so it's worth checking what's on when you visit.

From Tom Ford and Moscot to Oakley sports goggles

Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong wasn't just about the price-tiered frames, though.

There were also several brand-name products like Tom Ford and Moscot, plus quite a variety of sunglasses.

I'm the type who compares price, design, and brand quite a bit before settling on a pair of glasses, so personally there was a lot to look at.

And of course, my eyes kept wandering over to the sports goggles section, haha. Since I originally came here looking into running sports goggles, I checked out the Oakley and Rudy Project products pretty closely. They said prescription work is possible for sports goggles too, so I'm planning to get a proper consultation on that next time!

The eye exam comes before choosing glasses

What ended up sticking with me most from this visit to Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong wasn't the frames — it was the eye exam process. In the past, when getting glasses made, I always put a lot of thought into picking the frame but never paid much attention to the exam itself. But since you wear glasses for hours every day and keep them for a while once you get them, this time I wanted to get my vision checked properly first.

At Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong, the exam was done using the Zeiss German optometry system. In particular, there was a step using the Zeiss Profiler that checked both day and night vision, among other things. They explained it's equipment that can also examine glare and night vision issues. The whole process felt a lot more detailed than any eye exam I'd had before.

Next came a measurement using the iTerminal 2. They explained that this takes into account things like the actual position and posture of the glasses when worn, not just a simple "is number one clearer, or number two?" test — it was impressive that so many factors were checked together.

Zeiss Profiler and iTerminal 2: results kept on file

They said the results from the exam at Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong stay on file so they can be compared with previous results on a future visit. It's useful as a way to track how your vision has changed, or as a reference when getting new glasses made. I figured if I ever get sports goggles or sunglasses made later, I could compare it against this exam's results.

Why high myopia needs a more detailed exam

Hwangseonsaeng Angyeong is a high-myopia specialty optical shop that offers custom lens consultations ranging from high myopia and high astigmatism to functional lenses and progressive lenses. Especially with high-prescription glasses, it struck me that it's not just about seeing clearly, but that the process of measuring accurately and choosing the right lens for you really matters.

I came in this time looking into sports goggles, but I ended up finally getting my own long-neglected glasses checked out too.

Next visit: the prescription running goggles

Glasses are something you end up wearing for longer than you'd think once you get a pair, so this exam shifted my thinking a bit. In the past, choosing the right frame felt like the most important thing, but now I think I also need to pay attention to how thoroughly my eyes get checked, and whether I can properly compare products in my price range and design preference.

Being able to browse everything from the price-tiered frames to the various brand products in person was great too.

And best of all, since this exam is on record now, next time I'm heading back for what I originally came for — running sports goggles. :)

They had me try the glasses on and checked one last time for anything uncomfortable, adjusting everything carefully so they'd fit comfortably. I'm planning to come back here next time I need glasses or sports goggles made.