iWare Northeast

I walked in, found the perfect glasses I’ve been looking for, ordered and was out in 15 minutes.
1. No insurance is accepted
Note that this store does NOT accept insurance. I did have insurance that would’ve covered my prescription glasses, but I really liked the Swiss frames and it was exactly what I’ve been looking for, so I paid out of pocket even though I could’ve saved money by using my insurance if I ordered elsewhere.
2. Costly
Frames and lens are not cheap here, it’s one of the more expensive stores. My 1 pair of glasses cost me over $ 600. Note that I have the most basic prescription with single vision.
3. Timing
Like everywhere else, it takes about 2 weeks for your glasses to arrive and you will need to pick it up in person from the store.
All in all, I’m satisfied with my purchase and recommend this store to people who’re looking for prescription glasses. They have pretty good selection compared to other stores in town.

This is a MUCH deserved very high note of praise to Mr Cunningham for 3 years of service providing complex lenses /​beautiful frames following a life threatening accident 3.5 years ago which seriously injured my eyes.
Thanks to Dr Les Alsterlund who provides rare almost experimental therapy for eye injury, I found Iware. I sought a small individually owned optometrist who would provide the best quality lenses and service following my harrowing elevator accident ²⁄₂₀₁₃.
First Iware has a truly magnificently designed showroom. A great deal of time and energy went into the fun happy fresh coloration, angles of display shelving, placement of seating, beautiful refreshing bold expansive cut forms which accent corners and create open exhilarating happy space all most welcoming and elegant at the same time.
His selection of frames is elegant simple in feeling more design conscious than most selections elsewhere with offerings of top more expensive quality to items on sale and those made of more durable materials. This variety is hard to find elsewhere. He has a rare feel for color as well.
On top of all this Kevin Cunningham provides gracious non intrusive assistance with great respect given to his customers. He is a professional providing top quality lenses workmanship but also a kind genuine modest gentlemen working in a showroom he must passionately quietly love. One of the best I have found anywhere in the country and more importantly, one with a rare calm cheerful welcoming ambiance filled with sunshine.

For several years and several pairs of glasses I’ve been pleased with the service and impressed by the professionalism at iWare. Paige is the best!

Wonderful service, cheaper and faster than Lenscrafters. Very excited to get my glasses.

Great local shop with good selection of glasses from all over the world. The owner makes a great effort to find the right pair for your face.

I had a great experience shopping for glasses. I was not pressured to buy anything in particular and my price point was respected. They were willing to hold 2 designs I really liked but I ended up deciding a few hours later! I would definitely recommend their customer service and their selection.

I can’t say enough nice things about this place. Kevin introduced himself to me my first time in and was welcoming, polite, and helpful. Another customer came in while I was just looking, and he asked my permission before stepping in the back to do some quick adjustments. The selection is just the right size — enough to find the perfect style without being overwhelming. There is everything from whacky to simple and classic, and the entire time I looked, Kevin offered suggestions of other colors available to order, ways he could customize things to my liking, and adjustments to make a frame fit my face better. When it came time to order, he even generously offered me a small discount after hearing about all the troubles I had at a previous store. And to top it off, I spent less on a pair of glasses than at a «discount» place, thanks to competitively priced lenses. This store has earned my loyal business thanks to fantastic service and a great experience.

My first pair of glasses with Kevin was over 15 years ago, and he’s still tops. Kevin is the best for lenses, he has the lightest, thinnest available– (1.87?) for reasonable prices. It’s usually at least a third to half the price compared any other optical for my high-​index, –9.0 prescription. Most other places my just my lenses start at $ 400, not including frames.
He has done some amazing custom lens work for friends, I would consider him excellent at his craft. The frame selection is great, everything from locally designed Ogi & Seraphin to my fave La Font. I’ve had great results with him fitting new lenses into vintage frames as well. The cost is the reason I keep going back. He does not take insurance, but it’s probably for the better.

My wife and I have been customers of Kevin since he got his first optician job. We’ve just followed him around as he went from employee to owner.
If you need it, he’s got it or will get it. He can handle special needs (like really dark glasses for sailing) and has a great selection.
I’m going back to I-​Ware next week.

Great Glasses. Great Service. Always new stuff to look at.
Thanks Kevin.

I found a great pair of EyeBob reading glasses at a local men’s store and brought them in to Iware owner, Kevin. Not only did he fit them with prescription lenses he molded the temples by melting down and removing part of the plastic and shaping it to fit perfectly around my ears. This is just one of many reasons that I can’t say enough about Iware and about Kevin. The styles are amazing and he keeps things very fresh. Located in the Arts District of NE Minneapolis, Iware fits right in. I only wish that I could afford to get a new pair of glasses each month! However, for such high end frames the prices are ridiculously reasonable. I was shocked to pay less then I had at a Lenscrafters. Lastly, the sevice is amazing. I highly recommend Iware.

I’ve been visiting Kevin for 15+ years, the store is awesome, and I love the service that he gives to each and every customer! Need something tweaked later on, and kevin is totally cool helping you on it.
Highly recommended!

After a recent trip to the eye doctor, I needed a new pair of glasses and decided to stop by Iware for some new spectacles. The assortment of glasses was fabulous and the owner of the shop was very helpful in finding a pair that fit my face. He even rushed the lenses so I could get them in time for a trip. I love this shop. in fact, I wish I needed another pair of glasses :)

The neighborhood around this store has a fair amount of businesses, but most of them are galleries of some sort — it’s the NE arts district after all. This little eyewear shop is a bit of a gallery itself. The owner really takes care in displaying his frames. On my first visit I thought I had seen everything and then, suddenly, a new collection would seem to jump out at me from a place I hadn’t thought to look for frames.
Kevin the owner was also kind enough to hold the PERFECT frames over the weekend while the lenses were prepared. Very nice, reserved guy.
Glasses are such accessories these days, and with good reason — it only takes a stop in a store like this to see how much your face changes depending on the frames. I recommend it even for those who don’t need glasses. It’s an interesting exercise, so long as you’re gentle. Although, if frames are accessories, how come people only have one kind (usually?). They’re obviously expensive, but all other kinds of accessories I can think of wouldn’t really be for every single day. Maybe hearing aids will be the next concession to fashion…