I stepped out into the 90+ degree heat for a training run, the world appearing in 4K-like clarity. As I pressed start on my watch and settled into an easy pace, I was also testing Oakley's latest performance eyewear: the Oakley Sphaera sunglasses.
They're a design that blends sport performance with sculptural forms. I evaluated the Sphaera for function and style through summer hill repeats, country drives, and casual settings. While I expected good things from an Oakley design, the Sphaera left me surprised in a few ways.
Oakley Sphaera: Behind the design
Before I tried the sunglasses, I spoke with Nick Garfias, VP of Design at Oakley, to learn more about the thinking behind the Sphaera.
(Note: Interview edited for content and clarity)
The Manual: What was the goal when you started out? What were you trying to create?
Nick Garfias: Obviously, this is a sports frame, and I think in this case, this is an interesting one. We don't just attack a program and say we're going to make a frame for cycling, we're going to make a frame for running.
A lot of what we do is lean into a program or one aspect of a sport, going back and forth between athletes and understanding what their needs are, and taking all that information and putting it into boxes that we find are priorities for this frame.
We asked everyday athletes, and a lot of them had a lot to do with...frames that gave them this feeling of being serious, but not over the top. So we've got a very strong DNA and very sculptural quality to it. But what they were asking for was something that gave them more confidence and not necessarily that aggressive kind of look that we traditionally have.
TM: Oh, a little more subtle.
NG: A little more subtle, yeah. And so when you look at Sphaera, it has a very simplistic continuity across the top. From one end of the stem through the brow to the other side is just one continuous look. The lens itself provides a lot of field of view.
So it's kind of maximizing the left and right field of view and then the lower field of view, which would be as you put the frame on, it's what you're looking through, right?
And the objective for that is that you can put something on, and there's so much aperture or so much lens space that you can't read the edges of the lens. So it feels seamless, and it feels lightweight.
TM: What athletes, from what sports, did you use for the design?
NG: We looked at a lot of runners. We looked at a lot of cyclists. We didn't specifically hone in onto one sport. We even looked at soccer players. A lot of the function was about the aesthetic — and not the aesthetic just to look cool, but the aesthetic of giving that athlete confidence to wear something and feel that they were being taken seriously.
TM: What sets the Sphaera apart from designs from other brands? What makes this better?
NG: We're an optics company, so our lenses are superior. This is a piece of eyewear made to protect you from debris, the sun, all kinds of things. But also, fit and retention are very important. And so, when you put these on, you'll notice it's very weightless. Because the distribution of the tension in it feels like distributed around your head evenly.
Oakley Sphaera specs:
Price: $297
Frame: Lightweight O-Matter
Lens: Prizm Black (11% light transmission)
Size: L (134mm)
According to Oakley, the Sphaera is designed for versatile performance across sports, with features like Prizm™ lens tech, helmet compatibility, front venting, and grippy Unobtainium® components.
Pros and Cons of the Oakley Sphaera
