With a small Tour de France logo in the bottom corner of the left lens, the special-edition EVZero Blades from Oakley are one of a few TDF-specific products now available in Australia.
At just 22g and with minimal frames to disrupt your vision, the EVZero Blades from Oakley are great for cycling. It’s been said before, but we’ll say it again: this is the company that pioneered sports eyewear all those years ago and the strong association with our sport remains.
In 2020, Oakley has dropped a few themed sunglasses on the market. There was the ‘Kokoro Collection’ by Meguru Yamaguchi – with more colour than you ever expected to be splattered onto eyewear – that was created for the Tokyo Olympics. And while we’re still waiting for the Games, we have already seen the likes of Julian Alaphilippe racing with Kokoro coloured sunnies.
The new road race world champion seems to prefer the Flight Jacket shape and he’s had a few to choose from in recent months, including a gold-to-silver-to-black TDF edition (below).
The Flight Jacket exploits the current trend of enormous lenses and a fit that works well over helmet straps and while the top section is frameless (for better vision when in a riding position), there is considerably more bulk than another TDF-specific set of eyewear from Oakley, the EVZero Blades (below).The ‘Prizm Black’ lens (featured) is reflective and ideal for bright conditions. The EVZero Blades are two-thirds of the weight of the Flight Jackets (22g vs 33g) and the 55mm of rubber at the end of the arms grips well to keep them secure while you’re riding.
Without a frame, you need to exercise a little care when fitting and/or placing them in your helmet, but they fit to your face well. The nose gripper holds them in place, even with the additional risk of slippage that comes when sunscreen is applied.
Australian pricing details
- EVZero Blades Tour de France Collection: AUD$260
- Flight Jacket Tour de France Collection: AUD$328
(Price correct as of September 2020).