I don’t mean on the holodeck, shore leave, or when transported to the past and needing to fit in.
Seems like if you’re on an away mission to, say, a desert planet, sunglasses might be useful. I don’t recall anything wearing them.
The Romulan operative Nedar wore sunglasses while on duty as Starfleet Commodore Oh - this suggests they’re at least an option for Starfleet officers.
If you go way back to the United Earth Starfleet, Archer and Trip both wore sunglasses while on duty.
Further proof that Enterprise NX-01-era Starfleet had the most functional uniforms. Pockets and useful accessories.
Capt. Archer was a regular offender, btw.
I even think there was a conversation about how he didn’t have an extra set of eyelids or something. I could be wrong, it’s been a while since I have seen that episode.
Edit: It just occurred to me that if what I remember is true, doesn’t T’Pol just have built-in sunglasses that she is wearing?
Theres a whole page on sunglasses on Memory Alpha.
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Eyewear
Doctor Beverly Crusher and Guinan wore sunglasses in the Dixon Hill holonovel. (TNG: “The Big Goodbye”, “Clues”)
Geordi La Forge
Seems like if you’re on an away mission to, say, a desert planet, sunglasses might be useful.
To a degree. Not all species need them, and it might not be considered necessary. Particularly since it adds the risk of you losing them, and inadvertently causing a violation of the Prime Directive.
Species like Vulcans have innate defences that are just as good, if not better than 21st century sunglasses, and they may rely on those instead.
