Glovebox: Gripping Glasses

Michael Kirrene

10/01/2007

In 1975, Oakley founder Jim Jannard began selling specialized flexible handgrips for motocross motorcycles. Those grips, made from a material Jannard called "Unobtainium"—which increases its hold with perspiration—eventually paved the way for other innovative products, such as the sporty sunglasses now favored by athletes. Wrapped in Unobtainium, the stems of the Nanowire sunglasses ($300) are made of ultra-lightweight titanium alloy—a memory metal that retains its shape and pliability. The lenses, infused with a polarizing filter, eliminate distortion and haze to increase clarity—making it the perfect accoutrement for motocross racing, or other high-speed sports.

Oakley
www.oakley.com

Persol—which derives from per il sole, Italian for "for the sun"—has built its reputation specializing in protective eyewear. Originally catering to pilots and racecar drivers, the brand is now just as likely to appeal to movie stars or fictional British secret agents. Persol’s new 2279S sunglasses ($220) combine modern polarized crystal lenses with classic functional design—such as Meflecto, the flexible stem system developed in the late 1930s to fit any face.

Persol
www.persol.com