I peered through my Xenith Shadow helmet, desperately hoping to get a glimpse of the football passing in front of the midday sun, and as I lost sight of it I instantly remembered why getting a new Oakley visor was going on the to-do list.
But would it fit? I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of securing my new Oakley visor with duct tape, zip ties, and my mother’s yarn. I allowed myself a sigh of relief after a quick google search, Oakley isn’t new to this, they’ve been fitting visors to football helmets for over a decade.
I am going to tell you if the Oakley visors fit with those gorgeous Xenith helmets, and I’ll touchdown with some other information as well.
Is a visor really necessary though?
Imagine a baseball player missing crucial catches simply because of sunlight or a cricket player getting momentarily blinded and only hitting empty air with the bat. The sun is here to stay, but we have a great way to get around the issue of unwanted rays in our eyes!
Of course, some people prefer to do things in a more “natural” way, but I imagine they spend a lot more time shielding their eyes than players who wear visors.
When did visors emerge onto the football scene?
I got conflicting reports on this one. One source says that Mark Mullaney of the Vikings used a visor back in 1984 to protect his eye, which was healing from an injury. Another source claims that Randall Mcdaniel first used the visor in 1988 while he played for the Vikings, the very same team as Mark Mullaney!
I wonder if we will ever find out who came up with the idea; surely there could be some royalties waiting for the originator?
Who is making the best visors these days?
There are numerous brands trying to get the top spot when it comes to visors, each product is different, and each brand makes its visors slightly differently. The leading brands these days are definitely Oakley, Nike, Under Armor, as well as Elite Tek, and Arsenal.
Which famous players use visors?
The list is long, but you might know players such as Mark Ingram, C.J. Mosely, and Ezekiel Elliott. I would say if these guys are on board, we might have to take another look through this visor issue. Yes, “look through this visor” was a punt– I mean pun.
Do I need a perfect fit?
In one of the most brutal and fast-paced sports on the planet, having a loose or badly-fitted visor could become a real issue. With more than a decade of experience, Oakley prioritizes fit and quality, and it shows.
When I picked up the Shadow XR from Xenith, I didn’t have any trouble clipping in the new Oakley visor.
Okay, it fits, but what else am I getting?
The technology is getting better in these visors every year, I’m most impressed by the Patented High Definition Optics, or HDO, for short. I get clear vision at every angle, and with the anti-fog improvements, I don’t have to worry about the weather or humidity. You can pick up the Oakley Pro or Legacy visors from lots of online retailers without worrying if they will fit your Xenith equipment.
4th & 10
I get really picky when it comes to my equipment, but the Oakley I’m never concerned, they’ve been supplying professional athletes with eyewear for decades.
Who knew that visors were gaining so much popularity these days? Check out yesterday’s article below if you want another engaging read!
