RUNNING TECH
The high-tech products available today are a world apart from those available 20 or even just 10 years ago. We look at some of the latest cutting-edge items available and how they work
OAKLEY - EVZERO PATH- £130
uk.oakley.comNot too long ago it was very unusual to see an athlete wearing sunglasses, but nowadays it’s common place and there’s a very good chance that in Rio next month many will be wearing this set of eyewear.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Protection – an invisible form of radiation, UV rays hit your retinas at 186,000 miles per second. Eye damage linked to UV can include cataract, photokeratitis and pterygium and UV damage builds up over time. You generally don’t feel UV rays, so there is no natural warning that damage is being done. Although clouds reduce the level of UV reaching your eyes, they don’t block UV completely, which means your eyes can be exposed to UV rays even on overcast days.
The brand’s ‘Plutonite’ lens material stops every wavelength of ultraviolet radiation from the sun – not just the lower energy form called UVA. Even their clear lenses filter out 100% of all UV.
This image shows how harmful rays are blocked while the visible light spectrum passes through the lens.
Quality of vision – most sunglasses offer polarised lenses. This lens treatment helps eliminate glare and increase contrast in varying light situations. Oakley creates lenses that have polarisation built directly into the lens. This eliminates the need for additional films, glues or coatings to the lens and makes them the clearest lens available. Both lenses in a single pair of glasses are also manufactured at the same time to ensure that the centre axis of polarisation is perfectly aligned, thus preventing any potentially distracting glare.