As more and more people embrace health-consciousness, so too has their personal style. The fashion industry evolved to accommodate comfortable apparel that encouraged movement – a hybrid clothing category that, according to a report by Allied Market Research, is set to reach $256 billion by 2026. This fondness for athletic wear spurred various offshoots that played off athletes’ ensembles – and gave rise to the current popularity of athletic eyewear.
Fashion has always been circular, with trends from decades past eventually returning at various points. Athleisure itself is a modern derivative of the activewear boom of the 1980s, and athletic eyewear is a revival of Y2K fashion, with sporty sunglasses enjoying a new moment in the sun along with “dad shoes” and cargo trousers. Some trailblazing celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and her Balenciaga butterfly sunglasses, paved the way. Various players in the eyewear industry, from sportswear manufacturers to international fashion houses, also came out with their iterations of this trend. Here are a few brands that have made athletic eyewear cool again:
Oakley and reinvention
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. From the brand’s inception in 1975, Oakley has strived for products that look great – and function well when pro athletes put them to the test. Oakley’s line of sunglasses has never shied away from combining sports performance with a lifestyle edge; these frames are often designed to be as lightweight as possible, with the option to polarize lenses to reduce glare and eye strain. The Eye Jacket Redux is a modernized take on the 1994 classic, with an oval wraparound silhouette, nose pads, and temples that increase the grip when sweating. On a practical level, they protect athletes’ eyes from irritation, but stylistically, they offer a retro-futuristic aesthetic that has become popular with Gen Z.
Nike and exploration
Nike is a brand that believes in one thing: everyone can be an athlete. Undoubtedly, they’re one of the world’s biggest sports and lifestyle footwear brands, and their eyewear department has created a bevy of functional and inventive styles. The Nike Flyfree range features interchangeable lens options that securely latch onto the frame so that you can switch lenses depending on the time of day and light conditions. The lenses are water- and oil-repellent, making them ideal for unpredictable weather. Fog can also mess up your vision, whether simply walking down the street or breaking a personal record for cycling. These frames have ventilated channels in critical areas – the temples, hinges, and top bar – to keep your vision clear for the road ahead.
Gentle Monster and collaboration
Gentle Monster is a relatively new player in the eyewear game that quickly gained traction worldwide when Korean pop artists and actors donned glamorous pairs in dramas and on the global stage. Founder Hankook Kim took an unorthodox approach to marketing the sunglasses, transforming his physical stores into veritable galleries that attracted fashion and art lovers alike. For their foray into sports-inspired eyewear, they collaborated with French fashion designer Marine Serre to revisit 2000s aesthetics and create the Visionizer collection. Goggle-style frames with brightly colored lenses, functional cable temples, and sleek, angular silhouettes comprise the collection, allowing wearers to inject a little athleticism into even the most high-fashion ensembles.
Fashion is ever-evolving, but the eyewear industry and its consumers have found joy in cherry-picking beloved trends from the past and incorporating them into fresh, functional designs without compromising eye health. As our interview with optometrist Sophie Koh highlighted, Australians should complete an eye exam every two years to maintain visual acuity and detect early signs of various diseases — and this healthy habit will definitely let you experiment with new eyewear. With where sports eyewear is today, you should be able to easily take a pair from the gym to the street while protecting your eyes the whole way.