Nike, which sponsors a number of football (soccer for you Americans) players is testing coloured contact lenses for top players. The firm says red, yellow and amber lenses can help them see the ball better, particularly in bright sunlight.
Brian Roberts, of US basketball team Baltimore Orioles, who has tested the lenses, said: “They’re like wearing sunglasses without wearing sunglasses. I could see such a huge difference right away.”
The lenses, which have been under development for seven years, could be used in Britain this year by Premiership players. Nike is working with contact-lens company Bausch & Lomb to sell them through opticians.
Nike has also signed up tennis star Roger Federer and golfer Justin Leonard to test the lenses. It claims that while the red lenses are ideal for fast-moving sports such as football, grey lenses are the key to golfers being able to discern the lie of the land on a putting green.
[Via: And Far Away, Agenda Inc]
WOW! impressive!
I like the idea, and I’m sure it’d help players so much, but I’m not sure if I would have the courage to try them out 😀
Just a clarification: The Baltimore Orioles are a baseball team, not basketball team.
As a U.S. mid-westerner, I enjoy your blog; keep up the good work.
can you buy them from somewhere???
Eman, yeah it’s quite an interesting idea.
As for trying them out, well I think they’re just like normal lenses, just coloured.
Andy, thanks for the correction 🙂
And I’m happy you enjoy the blog. Thank you.
Hggfj, I think they’re still testing them right now. So maybe they’re not available for sale yet.
hey i play football and my eye doctor gave me a sample pair of the grey-green lenses. It turned the white in my vision a yellow tint, but i don’t have to squint when i look near the sun. also, i feel that things jump out at me more when i’m wearing them. they do look very creepy though as my whole team can tell you.
I’m looking into these for a non-sports reason, Nick since you have tried these out, I’d like to ask if they are like normal sunglasses. I suffer from a rare condition of extreme light sensativity and tend to give a bad first impression in interviews and the like as I have to wear sunglasses just about everywhere. If these block light the same way as normal sunglasses they may be the answer I’ve been looking for.
Thanks
Chris
(shaitok@yahoo.com)