Unearthed from the archives, Oakley® launches Sub Zero, a reimagined product that weighs next to nothing – a promise that still holds true three decades later.
Featuring its original lens shape from the early ‘90s, Sub Zero includes technical innovations that enable the past to meet the present in a singular design.
Sub Zero is part of the brand’s MUZM Collection – a unique curation of iconic styles that are re-released with new interpretations and infused with today’s technology.
Oakley’s archive showcases the brand’s decades-long pursuit of disruption and innovation and the original Sub Zero is no exception.
In 1992, Sub Zero was introduced to the world on the faces of some of the biggest icons of the era, inspiring people to imagine the future of eyewear.
Now, the relic gets a technological reboot. Outfitted with Prizm™ Lens Technology, a unique shield lens design and featuring Unobtainium® nosepads and earsocks that provide no-slip grip, Sub Zero marks its own place in Oakley history.
Brian Takumi, Oakley VP, Brand Soul and Creative on the heritage of the sunglasses: “In the ’90s, Sub Zero didn’t just break the mold of what sunglasses could look like.
It changed the way they were made. It completely altered both the look and feel of modern eyewear, showcasing that when you stop at nothing to reach a goal, the impossible can be achieved.
With this re-issue, Oakley continues to make the impossible, possible. Thirty years ago, Sub Zero set the stage for Oakley’s next chapter, fueling an unprecedented era of success. Now, the re-issue sets the stage for what’s to come in the future.”
Team Oakley skateboarding icon Aori Nishimura leads as the star of the Sub Zero launch. Hailing from Tokyo, and now based in California, Aori is part of a new generation of female street skaters.
After becoming the first Asian female street skater to win a gold medal in women’s street at the X Games, Aori became a household name and joined an elite circle of skateboarders who appear as playable characters in the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Most recently, Aori represented Japan in the women’s street event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Aori Nishimura says: “Skate culture through the decades influences my style when I am on and off my skateboard and I am naturally drawn to unique and disruptive designs, so I was immediately into the Sub Zero.
Through my own pursuit, I personally connected with the attitude of being able to achieve the impossible so it’s awesome to be part of this re-issue.”
To celebrate Sub Zero release, Oakley has issued a special time capsule-inspired kit to members of Oakley’s Collective of influencers, as well as Team Oakley. The kit builds on Sub Zero’s story of unearthing history via an ode to 1992, with the product enclosed in a time capsule designed with the look and feel of early ‘90s Oakley in mind.
The release of Sub Zero marks the first installment in the collection, with more to come on May 12th.