How Different Sports Have Influenced the Evolution of Eyewear Today
The Influence of Sports on Eyewear Throughout the Years
From cycling to football, sports have greatly influenced the evolution of sunglasses over the years. We dive into the fascinating history of fashion eyewear!
A cyclist in protective eyewear
There are many different style trends that have been influenced by the world of sport, but the evolution of sunglasses may be one of the most heavily sport-inspired accessories to infiltrate the world of fashion, with many of today’s popular styles owing their roots to sporting pastimes.
There are many different styles of eyewear that populate the world of fashion today. From classic aviators, enduring Oakleys, Asian-Fit sunglasses and a plethora of frames that have taken their inspiration from sport.
Alongside their sleek appearance, we can see a rich history of sporting innovation that has helped to evolve many of the more eye-catching appearances within frames and lenses.
Kim Kardashian poses in cycling eyewear
When Kim Kardashian opted to wear these unmissable shades sporting blue-tinted lenses, the celebrity icon wouldn’t have looked too out of place wearing the maillot jaune in the Tour de France, or hitting the slopes in Aspen.
In reality, Kardashian’s look was purely a strong fashion statement, and she’s not the only celebrity to borrow from sporting style to create a bold look…
The Evolution of Sports Glasses
For many popular sports around the world, eyewear is imperative. For instance, a squash ball can reach speeds of 140mph, and cricket balls can travel up to 93mph.
In the UK, there are more than 30,000 hospital visits each year as a result of sports-related eye injuries.
When it comes to elite sports, protective shades can be imperative for a number of reasons. For cyclists, tinted shades are essential for protection against harmful UV rays from the sun, while larger visors can protect against road debris and bugs.
Likewise, in skiing, glasses can protect the eyes in the case of collision and impacts from rocks or other blunt objects during a fall.
In fact, the ski goggle has continually evolved following its arrival in 1965 when it was patented by Robert Earl Smith. The goggles were double-lens and anti-fog and became standard attire after fogged-up lenses prevented any earlier adoption from skiers.
The design was improved upon by Smith, who was an orthodontist by trade. In his design, Smith added dental tools, foam and glue to create prototypes that would eventually become the ever-popular style that transcended the mountains.
Due to the necessity of an aerodynamic design, UX protective tint and eye-catching size, both ski and cycling sunglasses have become a recurring theme around celebrity culture, with leading celebrities like Rihanna, Rita Ora and Kim Kardashian pioneering a spike in popularity for ski-style sunglasses in 2019.
Rhianna helped to popularise these ski-style sunglasses
As a result of their adoption of the style, fashion search platform Lyst reported a 37% rise in searches for sports-inspired eyewear styles, including “ski sunglasses.”
Merging Sports and Fashion
The path from sportswear to fashion wasn’t a short one, but it was made possible by Jim Jannard, founder of sports glasses specialists, Oakley, who spotted a market opportunity to develop a product that could help BMX fans to look just like their idols.
In the late 1970s, Oakley released The Oakley Goggle, which was geared towards dirt biking and motocross. However, the design didn’t have sufficient anti-fog technology to be functional.
As a result, Jannard looked to the BMX market. Although the goggles still weren’t functional enough for professional BMX riders to wear, they simply placed them on top of their helmets while at events.
“Every kid that had a BMX bike wanted to mimic BMX pros like R.L Osborne and Stu Thomsen, so they bought the goggles, but they never actually put them on their face,” said Mike Bell, former supercross champion and Oakley brand ambassador.
“I always thought it was genius that Jim was like, ‘Okay, the goggles don’t work technically. But they look cool on a helmet.’”
Such is the lure of sports fans wishing to emulate their favourite athletes, that we’ve seen the cult of their eyewear spread to more unconventional sports, like football.
Edgar Davids plays football in his iconic protective eyewear
Although Dutch football superstar Edgar Davids enjoyed a long and decorated career throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became synonymous with his eyewear.
While players would generally wear eyewear for short periods of time when recovering from certain injuries or eye-related health concerns, Davids would sport his specialist goggles for the majority of his career.
Significantly, Davids’ eyewear, which would often be customised with a lens tint to match his teams’ colours, was also down to a health concern.
The player only began wearing goggles following surgery in his right eye due to glaucoma.
Read more posts about football and fashion on our football blog
How Have Different Sports Influenced the Evolution of Eyewear?
For Davids’ fans, eyewear represented more than functionality, and even in Nike’s biggest selection of sporty shades, few are more iconic than Edgar Davids’ goggles, which can still be found on eBay retailing for £3,000.
Today, as the relationship between sportswear and fashion becomes ever stronger, we’re likely to see more celebrities adopting striking sunglasses inspired by some of the sport’s most cutting-edge styles.
Wherever fashion decides to go next, chances are the blueprints for the next trend in eyewear have already been set up in the world of sport.
Has sport influenced any of your fashion choices? We’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!
