A few months back, Oakley launched the Kato, a funky-looking pair of sports sunglasses that looks perfectly at home in a superhero outfit. People loved it, especially with its extensive use by choice athletes in the Tokyo Olympics. Apparently, that’s not the only crazy-looking sunglasses they’re bringing to the summer games as viewers were also treated to the Oakley Xeus.
Worn by 200m gold medalist Andre De Grasse during his races, the sunglasses combine the Kato’s novel lens architecture with design cues borrowed from the kabuto of samurai, Japan’s iconic feudal warriors. The result is a show-stealing eyewear that looks radically different from the aforementioned Kato, all while bringing its own unique flair that gives it that same comic book feel.
The Oakley Xeus doesn’t use a single lens like the Kato, instead opting for a more traditional dual lens design, albeit with each lens extending towards the temple, past the frame. Basically, instead of creating a single lens, they used the same “Physiomorphic Geometry” to create separate lenses that extended past the typical lens profiles. Those lenses, by the way, are made with the outfit’s Prizm 24K, with alt iridium giving it a two-toned appearance. And yes, it comes in a gold hue because these sunglasses are meant for gold-winning performers. Or something like that.
The frame is unique, too, with vented sections that, we assume, allow improved airflow, as well as prevent fogging in the middle of a training session or an actual race. Atop the frame is a brow bar that spans nearly the entire length of the front section and rests on the wearer’s forehead, presumably providing rigidity to the entire structure.
The Oakley Xeus comes out August 12 as a limited edition release. No pricing has been announced.