I’ve had bad eyesight since the third grade, when I started wearing the kind of horn-rimmed glasses that pretty much destined me to become a book-loving nerd. Yes, mine were in fact at one point held together with masking tape thanks to Kenny F., our school bully, who knocked them off my face one day. I’ve hated glasses ever since, but it wasn’t until well into my teens that I actually had my first pair of contact lenses.

Now that I’m 40, my vision’s getting even worse. In addition to astigmatism, I’m now dealing with presbyopia — blurriness when trying to focus on close objects. My current lens prescription does nothing to correct that, but as someone with short arms, I can only hold a magazine so far from my face to read it. I’d begun dreading that one day soon I’d be wearing bifocal glasses, bringing back all sorts of bad memories of Kenny F. and the years when the sides of my nose were permanently red and sore.

Apparently, contact lenses have changed a lot since I last asked saw a qualified eye care physician, and not merely one of those walk-in places that have you out the door in 15 minutes.

I didn’t know, for instance, about ProClear contacts, which correct both astigmatism and that annoying near-vision problem. I also found out they’re now making lenses which eliminate the need for sunglasses during certain outdoor activities.

As someone who hates even the feel of a pair of Raybans on my face, no matter how stylish they actually are, I love the idea behind the Nike MaxSight contacts, which act like tiny sunglasses for your eyes. They come in a grey-green tint for running, golf or other activities where contrast recognition is important, or in an amber tint for sports like baseball or other activities where tracking a moving ball is important.

If you’re active outdoors — or if, like me, you can’t stand the idea of wearing bifocal glasses — be sure to check these news lenses out next time you order contacts online.