COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. & FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United States Olympic Committee and Oakley, Inc. today announced the latest additions to the Team USA® collection, an array of special-edition products with colors and highlights that honor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams. Customized versions of two eyewear designs and two snow goggles have been added.
“Many Sochi 2014 hopefuls rely on and trust Oakley eyewear while competing in often adverse winter weather conditions, and we are proud to partner with a company that has earned such a distinguished reputation for performance technology,” said Peter Zeytoonjian, USOC managing director of direct marketing, consumer products and events. “The partnership also allows consumers to show their support for Team USA by purchasing products from the Team USA Collection, which is refreshed each Olympic cycle.”
The specially-rendered products in the collection allow fans to share the excitement of the Games while enjoying the same technologies that serve athletes in Olympic and Paralympic competition. A percentage of Team USA eyewear collection sales supports the training of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls.
“Oakley shares the relentless dedication to performance that defines Olympians and Paralympians, and we are proud to expand the Team USA collection with new additions that feature premium performance innovations,” said Oakley CEO Colin Baden. “The drive behind decades of Oakley innovation has been fueled by world-class athletes who accept nothing but the best from themselves and their performance gear. The Team USA collection honors them with special editions that are available to all, and it lets fans show their support,” Baden continued.
Oakley has expanded the collection with two elite performance eyewear designs that utilize Switchlock™ interchangeable lens technology. The Team USA RadarLock™ and Team USA Fast Jacket® make the process of lens changing quick and hassle-free so athletes can adapt to changing light by taking advantage of the company’s wide array of accessory lens tints. The customized eyewear is highlighted with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team colors, and the Team USA mark is laser etched at the corner of the lens.
Carrying the colors of patriotism, the new Team USA Airbrake™ Snow and Team USA Crowbar™ Snow goggles are part of the collection. Airbrake Snow features Oakley Switchlock interchangeable lens technology, and both designs are optimized with a balanced fit and a wide range of performance and comfort features including triple-layer fleece foam.
These latest additions join current Team USA products including custom renditions of Oakley Radar™ and Flak Jacket® XLJ performance eyewear, and a popular lifestyle sunglass called Fuel Cell.
Oakley eyewear and goggles optimize visual clarity and impact resistance with the patented innovations of High Definition Optics® (HDO®). The products are engineered for maximized comfort to help eliminate distractions that can compromise performance. Additional benefits include the 100% UV filtering of Plutonite® lens material, wind protection via lenses that contour around the sides of the eyes, and glare filtering via HDPolarized™ accessory lenses that help reduce squinting and subsequent eyestrain.
Hundreds of athletes relied on Oakley performance innovations during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and many more will take advantage of Oakley goggle and eyewear technology at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games this February.
The first-ever performance-based eyewear supplier to Team USA, Oakley provides product to the U.S. delegation at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through a partnership with the USOC, the company will serve as the official eyewear supplier to Team USA through 2020. Oakley owns licensing rights for protective, active, lifestyle and corrective eyewear. This includes glasses, sunglasses, goggles and associated accessories.
The Team USA collection is available through Oakley.com, Oakley’s domestic distribution channels, TeamUSAShop.com and through storefronts at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Chula Vista, Calif. In recognition of Visa's support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the USOC is proud to accept only Visa at TeamUSAShop.com and its training centers.
Visit Oakley.com to discover more about the company’s sport performance innovations. Learn more about Team USA at TeamUSA.org.
About Oakley, Inc.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sunglasses and prescription eyewear, and all premium Oakley goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men’s and women’s product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.
About the USOC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. As such, the USOC is responsible for the training, entering and funding of U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, while serving as a steward of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements throughout the country. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
