Oakley Radar: The Design Behind the Donation

We recently posted about the donation Oakley made to the Chilean miners’. Oakley gave a pair of sunglasses from their Radar line to each miner so that, upon returning to the Earth’s surface and sunlight, they would suffer no retinal damage.

But we wanted to know, what makes Oakley’s glasses so remarkable? Why was their donation key to preserving the miners’ eyes?Oakley describes the glasses as ideal for sport because the frame “geometry creates a cooling flow of air,” the “lens material filters out 100% of all UV,” and shades meet “ANSI Z87.1 standards for impact protection.”

And as for the miners? What makes these glasses so ideal for their situation?

First, the design. Radar lenses wrap to the sides of the eyes in addition to complete front coverage with, as mentioned, Oakley’s super lenses made of PLUTONITE®, which makes the lenses impermeable to any UV rays. This was vital to the miners who, having been underground for over 2 months, could have suffered severe retinal damage from any UV exposure (and by the way, eye damage linked to UV rays include cataracts, photokeratitis and pterygium). The HYDROPHOBIC™ lens coating also repels sweat and dirt, which was ideal for the days-long rescue mission. And finally, again to the design, the half frame leaves the bottom of the lens uncovered and leaves one’s view unobstructed.

For the rescue mission that included looking above, below, and all ways through dirt, sweat and other unpleasant conditions, glasses that are made to withstand all of the above and to maintain their perfect fit were, naturally, the perfect fit for the miners and the perfect opportunity for Oakley.

Related posts:

1. Underground Radar®: Oakley’s Donation to Chilean Miners