I know you think I look incredibly rad in Radar with the Positive Red Iridium lens. You look pretty rad yourself, reflected in my shield’s shimmering red exterior. But if you assume my world is all crimson and mirrors, you’re wrong. Oakley’s iridium coating is all about working in concert with the lens’s infused polarization—which is in the lens, not affixed to it or sandwiched inside layers—to knock back glare. Inside, my world is calm and peaceful. The lens and has a neutral gray base tint, rendering colors true and images crisp, but the prevailing mood is soothing. That’s why this lens is so popular with performance athletes—competitive cyclists, triathletes, volleyball players, and so on. The lens keeps them dialed in to the task at hand regardless of surrounding chaos. With 18% visible light transmission, it’s suited to sunny extremes. It’s also the ultimate protective lens, made of Oakley’s Plutonite, a high-grade polycarbonate that is shatterproof, tapered optically to provide crisp vision despite its radical wrap, and coated with an oleophobic treatment that prevents sweat (and, presumably, margarine) buildup or streaking. With this lens plus the frame’s cushy nosepiece and love-hug temples, Radar is truly the gold standard for performance sports shades. $190. Buy it: Free Shipping at Oakley.com on orders of $50 or more.

Both winners of the Ford Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii—and, in fact, every finisher of the race last Saturday—had something in common besides unwavering determination and an astounding level of fitness. They all wore sunglasses. That’s quite a change from a generation ago when most cyclists spurned them and it didn’t even occur to runners to protect their eyes.

Of course, sunglass technology has advanced tremendously since then—better lenses, lighter-weight frames that grip securely without excess pressure, and soft rubber nosepieces that allow shades to ride cozily where they belong with no bounce or slippage.

It was no great surprise that Oakley seemed to be the dominant eyewear of choice. Women’s winner Chrissie Wellington of England (above, Matthew Murray photo) wore a new model called Enduring—the first women’s-specific sport shade.

Men’s winner Craig Alexander of Australia (below/Matthew Murray photo) wore the venerable Oakley Radar. I also noted a smattering of Rudy Project, Nike, Specialized, and Foster Grant in the field as the athletes toiled in a fierce tropical sun and battled capricious crosswinds whipping across black-lava badlands.

Why the dominance of Oakley? It’s an iconic brand that pioneered those sport-shade innovations mentioned above. And, as the crew inside Oakley’s portable laboratory demonstrated for Ironman spectators, the company does exceptional R&D and quality control. The Rolling O showed Oakley’s outstanding performance in a series of ANSI tests for optical quality and impact resistance.

But the proof is really out under the sun. Craig Armstrong told me that he started wearing Oakley long before sponsors slid him free shades. “Down in Australia we’ve always had a consciousness about sun protection. I remember saving up for a pair of mirrored Frogskins. They were the best. I never wanted to wear cheap shades. I’m out in the sun so much—I really have to look after my eyes.”

Chrissie Wellington’s version of Enduring was actually a special-edition Pace Breast Cancer Awareness model in honor of her grandmother, who passed away recently. (Chrissie is pointing to the emblematic pink ribbon in the photo above.) She auctioned her shades after the race to raise money for breast cancer research.

Links

Enduring


Oakley Radar

Phil Dalhausser (above) and Todd Rogers were in top form in their gold medal-winning match because, well, they were properly attired. Both are Oakley men. And both wore their Oakleys, replete with lenses, as they beat Brazil yesterday in Beijing. The cynical press had a field day earlier in the Games when Dalhausser and Rogers were spotted wearing their Oakleys minus lenses, due to a fogging problem. Reporters assumed they were under draconian orders from their sponsors. But an Oakley spokesperson assured me two things: 1. The guys didn’t have to wear sunglasses at all. They chose to wear them because they’re used to wearing them. (That’s evident when you see the sunglasses tan lines on their faces.) 2. Oakley has fogproof shades that the guys didn’t happen to opt for. Want ‘em? Free Shipping at Zappos

In the women’s gold-medal match, Kerri Walsh and Misti May-Treanor (pictured) played sans lunettes in a steady rain. Had the sun been shining, you’d have seen them in Bollé-Kerri in Serpent, Misti in Rattler. Check ‘em out at Sunglasses from FramesDirect.

And if you’re wondering about other prominent shades-sporters in these Games, Jeremy Wariner’s omnipresent shields are from Adidas, and Lolo Jones’s from Oakley. Sunglasses from FramesDirect.

Sure, we all marveled at Usain Bolt’s world-record performance in the 200-meter finals yesterday. But the real question on our minds was, “What were those cool shades Walter Dix (bronze medalist) was wearing?” Answer: Oakley Radar.

Why would a track & field athlete wear sunglasses, particularly at night? Reduced glare. Enhanced depth perception. Focus.

Gotta have ‘em? Zappos sells them. zappos.com

See the logo on the temple? Hijinx belongs to Oakley’s Square O collection, the fashion-forward arm of the outfit so associated with sports optics. You still get the best of that world, starting with shatterproof lenses (Plutonite, Oakley’s proprietary polycarbonate kin) that rank with the best in the world for optical acuity. Others might match Oakley from time to time, but Oakley’s lenses are consistently brilliant. They do the QC to make sure that’s so. I went with gray polarized for my black-frame Hijinx. Gray often provides a flat view, but Oakley’s gray pops, reveals brilliant detail, and is restful to the eye; 10 percent light transmission is just right. They’re also hard-coated and hydrophobic. You gotta love that little “Polarized” etching in the corner, which is like “Your Ad Here”—the Big O will etch your own inscription for $20. As I said, cool shades can kick-start conversation. The swarthy frame is stylishly large and indestructo. $160. Buy it: Free Shipping at Zappos