Racing-related Eyewear Picks Up Speed

Racing in all of its forms has had a big presence in many product categories over the past few years, especially in the fashion realm. The properties in question include not only auto racing, which dominates collaboration activity in this space, but also increasingly bike, motorcycle, sailboat, and horse racing as well, not to mention running. 

One sector that illustrates the trend is eyewear. All of these sports, especially those involving motorized vehicles, rely on good vision, which is improved by glasses that reduce glare, enhance contrast, increase focus and clarity, and ensure comfort. 

Many racing-related brands have entered the eyewear space since the beginning of this year, through partnerships that take various forms. Most include collaborative eyewear that highlights both high-performance attributes and a design sensibility befitting the sport: 

• The U.S. SailGP Team revealed a deal with Tommy Hilfiger Eyewear in July. The eyewear collaboration was part of a broader deal that made Tommy Hilfiger the official lifestyle apparel partner of the team. The pairing makes sense, as Hilfiger fashion collections are known for incorporating a nautical style.

• Spartan Race, the obstacle-course racing organization that oversees the Tough Mudder competition, announced a deal with Zenni Optical in June. Zenni became the official eyewear partner for all Spartan Race and Tough Mudder events in 2025 through 2027 as well as creating a line of co-branded eyewear. The glasses incorporated performance characteristics suited to an active lifestyle. 

• In May, Randolph, which specializes in military-spec eyewear, and Shelby American, the performance-racing design brand, paired for a limited-edition collection of sunglasses that the partners said would feature both precision engineering and bold, functional design. The collection was focused on three Randoph silhouettes in four finishes, with added features inspired by Shelby design elements, such as racing stripes and its blue Cobra logo. The products were made in America, in keeping with the practice of both brands. Each lens was tailored to certain driving conditions, while the leather cases were inspired by Shelby-designed car seats. 

• Shady Rays paired with Team 23XI Racing and two of its drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, in a long-term deal announced in May. The team participates in NASCAR and counts the eyewear maker among the sponsors of its No. 23 and No. 45 cars. The deal includes Shady Rays outfitting the 23XI team with sunglasses from its new Forged x 23XI Racing Collection, which includes its Classic, Titan, and Allure styles in 23XI’s “Speed Camo” design. The brand previously collaborated with the team’s co-owner, Denny Hamlin, and has had success with other auto-racing partnerships, including with driver Kyle Busch and his wife. 

• Cinelli, the Milan-based cycling brand known for being used by racers in Grand Tours, paired with Oakley, an Essilor Luxottica brand, for a limited-edition collection of cycling eyewear that debuted in February. The two models featured a distressed look that was meant to reflect the commitment to, passion for, and fatigue from biking. They also emphasized a vision of cycling that is more about joy and the outdoors than about competition. The manufacturing process included hand-crafting that ensured each pair is unique. Former road racer Taylor Phinney was signed as a brand ambassador for the line. 

• Lexus partnered with Revo in an agreement, announced in January, for a collection of sunglasses featuring luxury attributes, high performance, and a racing sensibility in its design. The four styles incorporate features such as rubber accents, carbon-fiber inlays, and color palettes suggested by Lexus Racing car models. Revo uses lens technology developed by NASA. 

• Elite Gravel Racing, an adventure-cycling brand, and its athletes Keegan Swenson, Lael Wilcox, Matt Beers, and Sofía Gomez Villafañe, paired with the performance eyewear brand ROKA in an agreement revealed in January. This endorsement and sponsorship deal was meant to help generate more awareness for the brand as it tries to gain share in a market dominated by Oakley. 

• Also in January, Maui Jim, a Kering brand, and Oracle Red Bull Racing announced that they had embarked on a multi-year partnership, building on a collaboration with Red Bull Global Sports the previous year. The deal saw Maui Jim provide eyewear for Oracle Red Bull’s drivers, pit crew, and staff starting in the 2025 season. 

Many of these deals end up meeting and often exceeding expectations, as indicated by the number of renewals that come to light. For example, Ducati renewed its license with Carrera Eyewear, a Safilo brand, in June, extending their collaboration through 2029 after a two-year partnership. The deal covered sunglasses and optical frames and also continued Carrera’s sponsorship of Ducati Corse, the brand’s racing division that participates in motorcycle competitions like MotoGP and Superbike, and the Ducati Lenovo Team.

Ferrari is also in the midst of a second eyewear license, with EssilorLuxottica; the renewal came into effect in 2023 after a first collaboration that began in 2016. The new deal continued the partnership between the Scuderia Ferrari racing team and EssilorLuxottica brand Ray-Ban. It also added a new collection featuring Ferrari’s prancing horse trademark, representing the first eyewear collection for the Ferrari brand alone, outside of the racing space.