There were times when Oakley sunglasses were a must... Well, maybe Rudy Project was also an option. But in the meantime, diversification has struck. Cyclists now wear brands such as POC, Uvex, Bliz, 100%, Julbo and others, and the glasses all look chic with their large lenses. Seems like the 90s have come calling...
The latest Oakley sunglasses models, Sphaera and BiSphaera, present the latest material from the head stylist himself. The glasses naturally combine the latest technology in the lenses (the already well-known Oakley Prizm technology) with a pretty unique design. Just look at those temples!
Oakley: Large field of vision with the Sphaera
The two new models are not only similar in name, but also in design and technology. The BiSphaera has two separate lenses, which also makes it suitable for spectacle wearers who can purchase prescription lenses. According to Oakley, however, the main selling point of the eyewear duo is the largest field of vision to date. More glass is not possible?
However, the Oakley sunglasses with their huge field of vision do not add any extra weight, the Californians promise. The frame is said to sit "practically weightlessly" on the nose so that you can almost "forget" about it. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not specify a specific weight. However, the EVZERO sunglasses from Oakley were already extremely light at 23 grams.
At least there are already dimensions for the standardised size L:
- Glass height: 50.4 mm
- Frame width: 134.2 mm
- Temple length: 130 mm
Oakley Sphaera: Collaboration with Team Oakley athletes
The development of the new sunglasses at Oakley was driven forward in collaboration with its athletes. Among them were Loana Lecomte and Mark Cavendish from cycling, as well as Fred Kerley, an American track and field star, Francisco Lindor from baseball, Dylan Fratelli from golf and others.
"Excellent peripheral vision is crucial for top performance, especially in the heat of battle, where an unrestricted field of vision is crucial for victory" - says French cross country and mountain bike star Loana Lecomte.
The technology in the new sunglasses from Oakley
From a technical point of view, the Sphaera sunglasses essentially utilise the tried and tested components of Oakley's current models. In addition to the Prizm technology in the lenses, which enables improved contrast thanks to various filters for different sports, the frame is made of O-Matter, which is very lightweight. The non-slip Unobtainium nose pads are also back on the Sphaera. What is new, however, is the shape and, according to the manufacturer, the particularly large field of vision.
The double-lens BiSphaera sunglasses, inspired by the popular Flak 2.0 XL model, have a narrower cut and are therefore ideal for sports where protection from wind and dirt is not as important for the eyes, such as running or golf. The Oakley BiSphaera is available with either Prizm lenses or Oakley's own prescription lenses.
Virtual fitting on the Oakley website
Another, albeit not 100% new, but nevertheless very useful aid in deciding "Can I wear something like this?" is offered by Oakley's virtual try-on. In the manufacturer's online shop, you can use your own webcam or selfie camera on your mobile phone with a click on "Try on" and a few access confirmations, and the respective model is placed graphically - and quite realistically - on your nose.
Oakley Sphaera and BiSphaera are now available at Oakley.com, selected Oakley shops and retailers. Whether they have the potential to become further design classics remains to be seen. We will test them in the near future and present the results here.
Marc Strucken
Editor
