By nature, the human eye is one of the most complex and intelligent examples of biological design – not to mention one of the more challenging biological features to design protection for in extreme conditions. For athletes that sweat and move in all directions rigorously for hours on end, this design problem is made all the more difficult.

Aiming to find the most lightweight and effective sunglass design solution for competitive runners, the Nike Vision team recently teamed up with ZEISS and Marchon Eyewear to develop a new design direction for the future of performance sunglasses.

Among other challenges of designing sunglasses for competitive runners include the need for a responsive design that adapts to sweat, flexible arms that conform to the shape of a wearer’s face for accurate stability and fit during rigorous motion, ventilation with auto-adjusting nose pad for eliminating fog and finally, all of this while increasing the lens coverage as much as possible to prevent stress-causing light leaks that prevent the runner from staying relaxed and focused over long distances. Essentially, these aren’t your average pair of gas station sunglasses.

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Working with ZEISS, the designers developed and manufactured a new one-piece shield lens and frame design from a custom mold that fused the lens and frame components into a single part. This mold was refined using ultra-precise machinery with diamond-polishing technology to polish the complex lens shape down to the nanometer. The result is a lightweight, ergonomic one-piece frame and lens design with aerodynamic design features that reduce wind resistance and allow for the ventilation needed to prevent lens fog.

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Says Marchon Eyewear’s Stephen Tripi:

“To better serve our athletes, we looked to the future of sunglass design to incorporate new lens geometry and materials, as well as fit technology and design elements that haven’t been used in the performance eyewear industry before. We really wanted to elevate athletic performance by developing a better system of eyewear.”

Find out more about the 2016 Nike Vision collection over at Nike.

Author

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.