Shade Files Eyewear was founded in 2018 to fill a gap in the eyewear market for alternative, emerging and niche brands that otherwise would have only existed online. 

Starting in Melbourne as solely a sunglasses retailer, SFE has grown into a leading destination for both sun and optical frames, along with an extensive prescription lens service, available to our customers both online and in-store.

Shade Files exists for people who are looking for something a little bit different from the big brands seen in most eyewear retailers. Eyewear that is not only unique in design, but is great quality and available at an affordable price.

We have a strict selection criteria for our stocked brands; with a belief that great eyewear shouldn't cost the world, it should be made well, and offer a unique perspective in terms of style and brand positioning.

This forms the three guiding principles when selecting new brands for the collection - Affordability, Quality & Style.

All SFE branded environments have been constructed with the world in mind. 44% of Australia's waste per year is from the construction industry, of which the commercial design sector plays a huge role.

Recycle, repurpose and reuse are key design drivers for our environments. From selecting locations that require minimal construction, to transforming used objects into functional elements; sustainability will always be at the forefront of our design and build practice.

As we move from space to space, we will continue to reuse existing fittings the best we can. Our latest design for our Prahran showroom has repurposed the fittings that were made for our Sydney summer store, combined with our original stainless steel filing cabinet wall from our original South Yarra store. The only new material introduced for this location was a fresh coat of paint and the introduction of mirror walls.

Everything we do is lead by the community around us; from our customers online and in-store, to the team that have helped built and shape SFE.

The business is responsive to the human interactions we see everyday, both good and bad, meaning we are constantly iterating our offer to ensure we show up our best every single day.