Chris Froome and Sam Bennett racing in new Oakley eyewear at Vuelta a España

Yet to be released Oakley sunglasses have been teased on social media by Chris Froome and Sam Bennett. The new design sees a lens that curves around the nose and wraps wide around the face.

The photos were first shared by Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) following his stage 4 victory at the Vuelta a España on Friday, 23 October. This head-on angle clearly reveals the striking new design that curves low around the nose—continuing the trend for even greater face coverage in cycling sunglasses.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delight to finish the job off on stage 4 @lavuelta after some amazing work from the @deceuninck_quickstepteam boys. Thanks again 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🐺 📸@gettysport

A post shared by sam bennett (@sammmyben) on Oct 23, 2020 at 11:43pm PDT

Since then, Chris Froome has provided us with a less coincidental look at the new glasses, with a close-up side-on view that draws attention to the key design features.

The frame of these glasses is minimalistic, with the narrow arms being attached only at the top corners of the lens, similar to Oakley’s EVZero Blades model. From the angle of the photo, we can see that the glasses wrap further around than the EVZero Blades—offering significantly more peripheral coverage. Looking closely, it’s also possible to see the curved lens bending around Froome’s nose.

 

 

 

 

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Going to need a rest day just to dry out after today... good thing we have one tomorrow 😆💦💦💦 #lavuelta20 📸 @gettyimages

A post shared by Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) on Oct 25, 2020 at 9:16am PDT

Rumour has it that these sunglasses will fit into Oakley’s range under the name of ‘Kato’ and will include a model that forgoes the nose covering called the ‘Kato X’.

It appears as though the range will utilise the brand’s Prizm lens technology which is designed to enhance colour, contrast and detail. From our previous reviews of Oakley sunglasses such as the Radar EV Path sunglasses, we can confirm that the Prizm lenses really do just that.

The new glasses’ bold look is likely to divide opinion, as Oakley's Sutro glasses did when they were first released. But to consider what function their form may provide, perhaps the smooth leading edge over the nose could give a slight aero advantage? We await further details from Oakley and will update as more information becomes available.