Tech Update Goggles and Gear

Sports eyewear's latest developments combine comfort and convenience with high technology

By Amy Spiezio

Today's goggles and sports eyewear are pushing the traditional boundaries, providing comfort, precise vision, and a sleigh full of bells and whistles to satisfy active folks from the professional level to those just stepping out for the day.

Whether one is fishing off the Florida Keys or skiing the Alps, the proper eyewear can make the difference between a good day out and a bad one. And with the right product mix in your dispensary, you can help make good sports days even better for your patients.

High-performance sports eyewear blends the best of frame and lens designs. Top: Two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboader Shaun White in Oakley style Airbrake; below: Nike Show X2 by Marchon

PERFORMANCE PEAKS

When it comes to sports like skiing, investing in the right eyewear is a good way to ensure leisure funds are well spent. “It's an expensive sport and you don't want to be let down by your equipment,” says Andy McSoreley, Oakley's global category manager for goggles.

One of the best ways to provide user satisfaction is to ensure eyewear is dispensed correctly; and, who better to do that than an eyecare professional? “ECPs are best suited to have the lens tint story conversation with their customers,” he adds.

Following are tips for getting your goggle and gear inventory moving.

FRAME FUN AND FUNCTION

The latest developments in sports eyewear are turning a day outdoors into a multimedia experience. At last month's Outdoor Retailer trade show, Zeal presented iON, a goggle with a camera and microviewer inside. Users can shoot images and HD video and download them from their goggles to a computer via a mini- USB connection. Operated using buttons on the side of the goggles, the iON was designed for easy use.

“It's not about this techy goggle you have to work with. It's bringing design and technology in a way that's not unattainable,” says John Sanchez, vice president of product development at Zeal Optics.

Other bells and whistles featured in the latest goggles include GPS, temperature gauges, speed trackers, altimeters, odometers, and even connections to the Android operating system so users can see texts and track buddies on the mountain.

Colorful motifs add a dash of fun to goggles. Image courtesy of Spy Optics

Aside from add-ons, the basic structure of goggles and sports eyewear is improving. Rigidity in materials such as proprietary versions of nylon hold lenses in optical alignment. Larger, rubberized nosepads and temple tips help ensure that sports eyewear stays in place, comfortably.

“Any time you use a large nosepad, you are going to disperse the weight on a larger area,” says Ed Moody, vice president product development for Costa del Mar.

Polar fleece lining the foam seals of goggles against the face provides a comfort detail while outrigger straps fit goggles with helmets.

In addition, science is being applied to the fullest in the the latest designs. Utilizing the Venturi Effect—the creation of ventilation channels in certain areas, such as the top of the bridge and sides, to direct air flow—fogging is reduced.

THE LANGUAGE OF LENSES

“People wear goggles to see better. People try to make something that looks cooler, but at the end of the day, if a goggle doesn't help you see better, it's pointless,” says McSoreley.

When it comes down to it with sports eyewear, the best sight possible is the key to winning the day. “The important thing an optical professional should remember is that visibility and vision is your first story,” McSoreley says.

Sports eyewear designs boost performance and fun. Top to bottom: Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Seth Wescott in Bollé goggles; Wiley X style The Gravity from the Climate Control series; Zeal style iON features a camera with control buttons on the side of the goggle

Whether Rx or plano, sports enthusiasts' eyewear is chosen first on optical performance, so the biggest advantage ECPs have over sports retailers in terms of sports eyewear is their deep understanding of optics.

For users needing visual correction, the options include Rx inserts, Rx'd sports eyewear, or OTG (over the glasses) sportswear options. Treatments on lenses typically include anti-fog, anti-scratch, and oliophobic options.

Variable conditions over the course of a sporting day demand changeable lenses. There are two basic paths designers are taking eyewear to provide all-in-one solutions for their active demands: switchable lenses or photochromic lenses.

SWITCH: Eyewear and goggles with multiple lens options are a popular choice for sports enthusiasts looking for one chassis with many lens applications.

“Snow enthusiasts experience the most dynamic weather of any sports, from pea soup fog to bright white. There's no one lens on the planet that's going to work optimally,” Oakley's McSoreley says.

Switching lenses has opened a whole new world of technological advances for easy lens interchanges, ranging from magnetic anchoring to simple pull locks and lenses with thumb gaps for intuitive exchanges.

PHOTOCHROMICS: The other lens option is a one frame/one lens stance, citing convenience and ease of use. While this locks in lens color, thanks to photochromics, there is light transmission flexibility for a positive visual experience.

“If your lens can change during your activity, your eyes don't notice it, but you have perfect performance all day,” says Bill Yerby, director of sales and marketing North America for Bollé. “You can take them anywhere, and you get a little bit of everything for a whole offering.”

PRESENTATION POINTERS

Adding sports eyewear to an optical dispensary requires training, communications, and try-on friendly policies to truly succeed. “The first thing they have to do is embrace retail and understand that there's a secondary source of revenue that, if executed properly, can be significant,” Costa's Ed Moody says.

Ready to fish: Costa del Mar style Double Haul

Once sports sunwear and goggles are incorporated into a practice, dispensers should include them naturally in conversations when fitting contact lenses and day-to-day eyewear.

Though sports eyewear is often locked up to deter shoplifters, suppliers suggest that ECPs allow potential buyers to try on styles freely. “If the ECP makes it difficult to put the product on [the customer's] face, they make it difficult to buy,” says Rob Maser, commercial sales director, Wiley X.

It's also recommended to have a specific area for sports eyewear. “If ECPs place sunwear scattered within Rx and other products, it's not going to work,” Maser says. “To get the attention of customers, it needs to have its own focus and section of the practice.” EB

Rx Sunwear
When he decided to align his optical business with a sports retailer to build his sales and prescription lens business, optician Mike Hileman took things to the extreme. Now his 1,000-square-foot Eye Gear Sport Optical is actually located within the 6,000-square-foot Bike Shop of Henderson, Nev. “Being in the bike shop has definitely helped my business,” says Hileman. “I benefit from their traffic flow, and I like to think they benefit from me as well. I bring in customers who are not cyclists and they see the shop's products and think ‘Hmm … maybe I'll check things out.’ It's really a shared networking.” Since combining forces with the bike shop three years ago, Eye Gear has grown its prescription sports sunwear business to 25 percent of all eyewear sales with a price range of $150 up to $800 for complete frame and lens packages. For Rx sunwear, Hileman says most customers choose to use the proprietary prescription programs run by sports sunwear manufacturers, which cover the gamut of lens types, tints, and prescription needs. He also offers bespoke high-tech lenses that are customized by specialty labs such as Pech Optical. Some sports sunwear makers with proprietary Rx programs have also designed programs to increase sales for both optical retailers and sports shops. ECPs can follow a program or forge their own relationships with local sports retailers. Here, a few steps that could lead to a bump in your bottom line. Step One: To get started, grab the phone book or get on Google and make a list of the independent, local sports shops in your area, from bike shops and golf stores to multi-sport retailers. Step Two: Ask around about the reputation and customer service philosophies of each shop; stop in for a visit. Step Three: Finally, approach the owners of those shops you find worthy of partnering with—explain the partnership you are offering for Rx referrals on sports sunwear, give them a stack of business cards, and outline your own services.
— Erinn Morgan