Oakley Snow Goggles and Sunglasses: Performance Meets Style

At Ispo, Oakley showed us a pair of snow goggles that are designed to provide particularly good vision - even in very poor weather conditions. We also see a pair of sunglasses with an integrated personal trainer. Combined with a chest strap, the wearer receives instructions on how fast and how long they should run.

Oakley ski goggles/snow goggles with PRIZM lens technology

Jürgen Groh: For me, Oakley stands for sunglasses - I see you have ski goggles in your hand now. What can they do? Axel Brosch: Yes, we don't just have sunglasses, we also have snow goggles. The special thing about these goggles is that the lens is attached to the outside of the frame. This simply gives me a larger field of vision because the frame does not extend over the lens. The field of vision is therefore much more open and larger. I have a wider, broader spectrum that I can see at a glance.

Better vision on the slopes with PRIZM lens technology

Jürgen Groh: Does the red lens of the snow goggles have a specific function? Axel Brosch: Yes. This is our PRIZM lens technology. The technology ensures a higher, stronger perception of contrast. I can see the contrasts even in very diffuse light, for example when it is completely overcast, snowing or foggy. In such weather conditions, I can still see the contrasts better than without glasses or with comparable competitors.

Oakley Radar Pace sunglasses with personal trainer

Axel Brosch: The special thing here is the Radar Pace. These are sunglasses with a trainer included. With a personal trainer. This means we have the option of being connected to an app on your cell phone via the audio system. Using a chest strap that measures your heart rate, the glasses give you impulses and information on how fast you should run, how long you should run and what your heart rate is. The cadence, stride length, distance and so on. You can use Radar Pace to develop precise and explicit training programs. So, for example, I enter I want to run a marathon in 3 hours 50 minutes in October. The system then calculates a training plan for you and gives you very clear guidelines as to when, how long, how fast, how much, how high - altitude meters, mountain runs, interval runs, and so on, giving you a very precise training plan of what you need to do and when. Jürgen Groh: It all works via audio, so to speak? Axel Brosch: It works via audio and microphone. In other words, I can really communicate with the glasses. I can ask the glasses, "Hey Radar Pace, what's my heart rate"? Then the glasses say your heart rate is currently 150 and I can actually communicate with them, "Hey Radar Pace, what's on the program today?" "Today we have a 3 kilometer mountain run, with a target heart rate of 160 and so on and so forth." So it's a coach who develops an individual training program for everyone and then follows it through with you.

Pace is displayed in sports glasses while running

Jürgen Groh: So you could say they are less fashionable glasses than sports glasses. Axel Brosch: Exactly. The Radar Pace is a pair of sports glasses that are really designed to help athletes achieve their goals. The glasses are a personal trainer for every athlete. And that is actually the goal and the reason why we developed them. And again, not just for the pros or top athletes, but also for the average athlete. The product is very helpful for a beginner who is starting to run, because beginners usually make the mistake of running too fast and having too high a heart rate. That's why the glasses help, because they tell you if you're running too fast and your heart rate is too high, "Run slower!" or vice versa, "You're too slow - run faster!". There are very clear instructions, very clear tips. Jürgen Groh: Can I also put on the Radar Pace? Axel Brosch: Yes, of course. And now put the earplugs in your ears and the coach will communicate with you via the earplugs. Jürgen Groh: He says I should start running now. Axel Brosch: Exactly. Start when you want and then off you go. Jürgen Groh: Okay, nice part. What do I have to pay for the trainer? Axel Brosch: The Radar Pace costs €439.

Jürgen Groh: I think you're already working on new developments. What can we expect next year? Axel Brosch: I think so too (laughs). Yes, things are constantly progressing. Of course, an important focus is on electronics, which is included in the products and is constantly evolving. For goggles, for example, we have a project where the lens can be heated - so that it doesn't fog up, so that it is completely fog-free. We launched this on the market last year. So the topic of electronics is becoming more and more involved in the products. For us in particular, of course, we always make sure that we are always one step ahead in terms of innovations, new materials, new ideas and new technologies. You can see that in our products and we are also working hard to ensure that we are always one step ahead. Jürgen Groh: I'm looking forward to next year. Thank you.

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