By Tori Hahn

A Downtown business expands its reach with the Padres

Local company Knockaround Sunglasses maintains a special relationship with the San Diego Padres baseball club; so much so, that on June 17, when the Padres take on the Washington Nationals, Knockaround will give away thousands of pairs of their custom Padres-themed sunglasses with the official team logo.

This is Knockaround’s fifth annual promotional giveaway day at Petco Park. The retro-colored brown sunglasses will be rewarded to the first 25,000 fans that enter the stadium that day.

Located just blocks away from Petco Park on Commercial Street in Sherman Heights, Knockaround Sunglasses was first launched in 2005, while Adam Moyer, Knockaround’s founder and an East Coast native, was still a grad student at UC San Diego.

Now 11 years later, Moyer said he never imagined the local success and celebrity attention his company would come to earn.

Knockaround’s signature brand of sunglasses are their “Fort Knocks,” which are based on Ray Ban’s Wayfarer-style frame, but over the years alternative frame styles and lens options have emerged and today the company boasts more than 10 models with over 100 styles.

In addition, they design dozens of limited-edition models throughout the year, such as the pair for the Padres, which are appropriately called, #Friarknocks.

“What separates us now are the collaborations that we do and the special projects that we do,” Moyer said. “[With the Padres], we wanted to put down some roots in San Diego and let the local community know this is a San Diego company.”

The company, which makes most of its sales through its online presence, began its relationship with the Padres as a result of sending a simple email to the organization in 2010, Moyer said.

The Padres were receptive, and that first year they participated in a giveaway of 10,000 #Friarknocks sunglasses. Every year since, their relationship has grown.

“We just wanted to find a way that we could have a presence at all the Padres games or most of the Padres games,” Moyer said. “[The Padres] had the foresight to say we’re going to start small with this company and we’re going to grow the relationship and grow that partnership to evolve into something bigger.”

As of this season, Knockaround sunglasses of various styles can now be purchased at Petco Park.

“The Padres and Knockaround have a long-standing partnership providing fans with creative custom sunglasses while celebrating the SoCal spirit of this beloved local brand,” said Katie Jackson, director of marketing and brand activation for the San Diego Padres. “We continue to grow our relationship by offering fans affordable and stylish sunglasses at retail locations throughout Petco Park. It is important for us to partner with strong local brands like Knockaround to bring the best of San Diego into Petco Park to enhance the fan experience.”

Moyer said he wanted to provide an inexpensive option to those who may have left their sunglasses in their car or at home. He explained that people would rather spend $15 or $20 on Padres-themed sunglasses than invest in a pair of designer glasses or face the midday sun during the game.

“It’s always fun to work with a creative local brand like Knockaround to provide Padres fans with custom items that add value to their experience,” Jackson said. “We look forward to seeing our fans sporting Padres-themed Knockaround sunglasses throughout San Diego.”

In addition, Knockaround sponsors all Padres homeruns at Petco Park. Every time the team hits a ball out of the park, Moyer said the Knockaround logo will flash across the big video screen along with the hitter’s name and official homerun distance.

The largely e-commerce-based company also recently began selling their products in storefronts across San Diego for the first time. Moyer said Knockaround sunglasses can now be found in 20-30 “mom and pop” and small business shops in several San Diego communities.

To find out more about Knockaround Sunglasses, visit knockaround.com.

—Editor Morgan M, Hurley contributed to this report. 

—Tori Hahn is a local freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].