With the Rio 2016 Olympics going on its first week, it is interesting to find out what athletes are using nowadays for better performance in competing in an event where the world’s crème de la crème are battling out for world supremacy. What interests us more are what of these gear that they use that we wish can also be used in the airsoft and tactical communities, in this case, we see eyewear that are worn by athletes.

With that said, Nike have what they the Nike VaporWing which was first announced as part of their 2016 Running Collection, “A one-piece, shield construction lens provides a seamless view and superior coverage to help protect you from the elements.” That one sentence makes us really interested in this eyewear since in airsoft we do really need protection from the elements for our eyes.

Indeed, there are already protective eyewear products that can provide protection more adequately available at good price points for airsoft players. Though in the previous years, we have not seen much improvement in the design of protective eyewear, and perhaps Nike can provide some new aesthetic direction for protective eyewear distance.

The Nike Wing was designed for high performance athletes, which would include Crossfit athletes who will demand eyewear that can withstand the rigors of their extreme discipline. They cooperated with Zeiss Optics, one of the biggest names in optical technology, to create the Wing to provide unhindered vision, accurate perception, and exceptional clarity for athletes. They should have included shooters in their list of possible users as they do need those features in their protective eyewear.

The design, primarily geared for runners, looks aggressive which is what the eyewear designs we use in airsoft also look like. But at 23g, the Nike VaporWing is ultra-lightweight designed to reduce fatigue and stress around the wearer’s head. The lens is made of polycarbonate, which is tough enough, though there is no indication of ballistic protection. Nike states that its polycarbonate glasses are impact resistant, but are not shatterproof or unbreakable.

If Nike wants to make a version of the Nike VaporWing Glasses with ballistic protection, it would be interesting to know what the price point will be. The Nike VaporWing Glasses are expensive at US$396.00.  And they also unveiled a more radical Wing Glasses in cooperation with Zeiss Optics with a price point of US$1,200.00.