Adidas Evil Eye Evo Pro - First Look

Nov 24, 2014
by Paul Aston  
Adidas Evil Eye Evo Pro

Pinkbike was invited to Apt in Southern France to see the new Evil Eye Pro from Adidas - the replacement for the popular Evil Eye Half-Rim glasses, which features full frames and curved, close-fitting oversize lenses intended to emulate the protection and field of vision that goggles provide. The Evil Eye Pro also incorporates a number of useful performance features, like a sweat catching bar, interchangeable lenses, and a hydrophobic lens coating that instantly sheds water. Adidas have been involved in the mountain bike scene, producing eyewear for the more extreme end of the market since 2000. They also sponsor and co-develop European bike parks, jump lines and dirt parks and they also introduced the first official 'Northshore' style trail in Europe.


Adidas makes the Evil Eye Evo Pro in two frame sizes.

Adidas Evil Eye Evo Pro

• Intended use: Enduro/Trail riding
• Four-position nose bridge
• Polycarbonate lenses
• Quick-change lens system
• Adjustable arms
• Removable sweat bar
• "Climacool" ventilation system
• Sizes: Small and large
• Five frame colors
• Hydrophobic lens coating
• MSRP: €169/$210
• Contact: Adidas



Construction and Features

Designed and manufactured in Linz, Austria, Adidas' Evil Eye Evo sport-glass range will land February 2015, and they are packed with tech. Reportedly, it took two years to develop from the first sketch on the drawing board to the finished article. The main feature is the massive frames which houses their "10 Base" poly carbonate lenses. In layman's terms, this means they are really big and that the lens has a huge curve designed to provide a wide, non-distorted field of vision. Adidas say this is the largest wraparound, full-rim glass on the market and I'd be hard pressed to argue.

Evil Eye Evo glasses 2015

The sweat-stop band above the Evil Eye Evo Pro frame is removable, and the ear pieces are angular-adjustable so users can match the curvature of the lenses to their facial profiles.



The 'Climacool' ventilation system, works with the curvature of the lens, to create a vacuum effect which draws cool air in from below and expels warm moist air out of the top. The fit can be adjusted to suit, choices of small and large frames, with the four-position nose bridge and the "Tri Fit" adjustable arms. The nose bridge helps to grip the profile of your snout, and will raise or lower the Evo, and the Tri Fit arms ratchet up or down to change the angle of the glasses against your face. Hydrophobic lenses repel water, dust and dirt and the "Light Stabilizing Technology" lenses will be sold in multiple colors, so everybody can match their kits or styles. The quick change lens system locks in to place when the arms are opened, so there is no chance of losing a lenses. There are two models: the Evo and the Evo Pro, which have 10 or 12 different lens tints accordingly, and while only one shade of lens supplied, additional lenses can be purchased, costing between €40-€60 ($50-$75). Optical inserts and full prescription lenses are available.

Adidas Evil Eye Pro modelled by Steffi Marth

Addias athlete Steffi Marth models the new Evil Eye Evo Pro to demonstrate what "full wrap-around eyewear actually means.



Adidas athletes Rene Wildehaber, Pierre Edouard Ferry, Justin Leov and Steffi Marth were on hand to guide us on the trails and answer our questions about the Evil Eye Evo Pro. I got a few words from Steffi mid ride:

"With the old model, the Half Rim, there was nothing really to complain about, it was a really good product and I rode with it for a long time now, and there were no issues. Actually when I had this on for the first time this year, the prototype version, I was like, woah, that's really big! And the first time I put them on, I was thinking wow, you do notice how big they are, as they were laying on my cheeks. Now, riding with it the last two days, I am not noticing that I still have them on. I like the Hydrophobic lenses. Today, some water sprayed on to the lenses, then it was gone!"

Adidas Eyewear Apt South France November 2014 Copyright Markus Greber Rider Paul Aston

Riding with glasses that fit so close to the face and have such a wide field of view did not convince us to abandon goggles, but we will probably wear the Evil Eye Evos for riding everything but DH.



Pinkbike’s Take
bigquotesThe Evil Eye Evo Pro is huge, which is a very good thing. After adjusting the fit to suit me, keeping the frames high enough to not impair my vision when locked in to my 100-yard stare down the trail, the field of view was impressive - without doubt, the closest you will find to a goggle. Personally, the fit was close to my face in all directions, due to the massive lens curve, which should keep out all unwanted bugs and dirt. The lenses are simple to swap, and the sweat band did its job. One downside was that they did steam up quickly when I came to a halt on the cold day in Provence, but the Evo lenses did clear almost instantly when I started moving again, presumably, as the Climacool vacuum kicked in. A quick spray of a good goggle anti-fog would fix that. I'm still a goggle man at heart, and can't see myself using these for any racing application, but from now on, they will be with me for all my trail rides. - Paul Aston


Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

56 Comments
  • 22 3
 There's too much emphasis put on the $200 price, it is on par with pricing of any other sunglasses these days.

MORE to the point, Adidas invited and payed for journalists/press to go to French Alps for some sunglasses?! They sure got money to burn!!!
  • 37 1
 thankx adidas eyewear for still producing in Austria / Europe and paying workers here.
  • 6 3
 now with 13% more nope!!
  • 6 0
 They are not burning the money they are charging it to you.
  • 4 0
 Compared to Oakley's "deals", that price is honestly a steal...
  • 17 3
 Steffi Marth is a fox, that is all
  • 19 10
 Of all the overpriced bike stuff out there, I can assure you one that I won't be springing for is a pair of $200 sunglasses. You know what else has wicked field of view and doesn't cost $200?

These: www.pinkbike.com/photo/11669450

Not as cool, obviously, but they do the trick. I'd rather spend the remaining $190 on actually biking. But that's just me!
  • 18 1
 You obviously don't know that looking rad will make you go faster Smile
  • 1 1
 I picked up some photochromic Scott shades for $70 from www.theclymb.com and they're pretty awesome.
  • 1 0
 I use those same style glasses, except in a tinted version! Best part: they were free! Found 'em on a picnic table in the middle of the woods! And yes, I did ask around the parking lot when I got back to see if the owner was possibly still there!
  • 9 3
 @rory you're about on par with the guy who rides in blue jeans
  • 4 1
 I ride in blue jeans with custom assembled $220 Oakleys on my face... (because I wanted their color to match my Crossmax SX wheelset)
  • 1 0
 @Spykr, I got a set of shades like that, crashed in August and they were in the bush I landed in, just dangling there off a sprig, result!
.
Never found the rest of the rider though, poor guy, must have been night riding and got eaten by a Grue.
  • 3 0
 i get those safety glasses for free from work. i especially like the yellow tinted ones
  • 1 0
 @Fix-the-Spade, shame you never found the Grue! Could have slain that thing for some good EXP and leveled up your one-handed trackstand skill a few points!

Will be buying myself some new sets soon; they're 1-2 bucks each online in all sorts of tints! Even found some with soft-touch, rubberized sides!
  • 1 0
 No blue jeans. Just never found a reason to splurge on overpriced, gimmicky eyewear. I'll rock the safety glasses untill they stop doing what I need them to...

www.pinkbike.com/photo/11671828

But now that I think about it, why not ride in jeans? F*ck the fashion show. It's about how you ride, not how you dress.
  • 1 1
 "I'll rock the safety glasses untill they stop doing what I need them to"

So I can assume that UV protection is not needed...
  • 2 0
 Specs on the package state they filter 99% of UV light....as do most lenses sold in Canada nowadays.

I'll leave it up to my visor to catch the other 1% : P
  • 1 0
 These are the same thing but for a fair price. $59.99 and another model for $89.99 They been around for a few years at least...

ryderseyewear.com/node/7392
  • 9 1
 I'd rather put the $200 towards my whistler seasons pass and ride all season in some safety glasses I stole from work.....allegedly
  • 11 2
 Nice looking glasses! I'd buy a pair!
  • 3 0
 I whish someone one make a mini goggle for enduro racing.. Airtight goam to the face but not as big as a dh goggle. Dh goggles get in your way when climbing bacj up. Something like a skydiving goggle but with mtb technology ...
  • 1 0
 haha brilliant Smile
  • 1 0
 What Bruccio posted is probably the best you can get without going full goggles. anybody who makes military eyewear makes something similar, because you need protection during haboobs in the desert(what I'm saying is, you don't have to pay Oakley prices to get something similar.)
  • 2 0
 Yeah I cant believe there has not been a big push for such a google. I tried these on the other day and they would be perfect under a small helmet: www.decathlon.fr/karakoram-id_8319719.html
They would need to be a clear(er) lens to work however.
  • 1 0
 Also these Ryders which are much less expensive: www.pinkbike.com/photo/10113747 (originally posted with info here: www.pinkbike.com/news/Rocky-Mountain-Ryders-Eyewear-KORE-x-fusion-Interbike-2013.html)
  • 1 0
 @groghunter yeah you're right, oakleys are expensive. in europe a combination of SplitJacket + the wind gasket would be around 250€. i got them used (as new) on ebay for 90€, including three different sets of polarized lens. best goggles i ever had.
  • 2 1
 might be a long one: glasses for climbing, and so why not googles for any thing else, two is more then one !!!!
don't wanna ask, but why those need bad word in the name, like sinister word will make them sell more,
don't wanna even start with, how many things you will need to ride,less is more !!!!!
  • 5 1
 the feeling of horror when you end up sitting down on your $200 pair of sun glasses...
  • 1 0
 Steffi Marth looks good in any glasses. Adidas should stick by there classic heritage and make functional AND stylish glasses. Making aviator and wayfarer ISH glasses that don't make you look like a NASCAR safety glass wearing douchebag would be a start. Then again, douchebaggery is all relative to how hipster you are.
  • 7 3
 Two sizes? Where's the 650B version?
  • 2 1
 Endura Spectral - mist free, scratch free , comfy with hard case and cleaning cloth for £15!! You can buy 3 different lense pairs for a third of the cost of these and they perform fantastic
  • 1 0
 Arnet /Arnette had a great pair of cycling shades back in the late 90s. These remind me of a pair I had. I think they cost $50 back then. While $200 is on par with other high end brands, is still too much.
  • 5 2
 All the way to France for some glasses, sign me up!
  • 2 0
 Bolle safety glasses, £6 e-bay, scratch, break, replace... coz I aint getting my shit for free
  • 1 0
 I never buy sunglasses that aren't polarized. Can't transparent hydrophobic coatings also be bought in little spray bottles for $8 anyways?
  • 1 0
 I wear light indusrtial safety glasses - dont like tints - just fine . they do the job and I save 180 bucks for something useful!
  • 2 0
 thems some nice speed-dealers. need more flames on the sides though
  • 2 1
 "The closest you will find to a goggle" ...So one could say they're the new threshold in enduro eyewear...
  • 1 0
 I actually love the helmet more than this oakley. Looks like some Clown in the mall did it with some of this long balloons you can make your Kids happy with...
  • 1 0
 my prescription smiths cost more than 200$ Frown but they are not stupid inserts at least!
  • 4 2
 Anything that stops people wearing goggles with xc lids.
  • 1 0
 I got a pair of 100% and they Rock (sunglasses) I am selling the shit at of them here my shop.
  • 2 0
 $200,I'd pay it ,if they don''t steam up in the rain
  • 2 0
 opticnerve i use awesome and much cheaper than those
  • 2 0
 they don't look enduro enough
  • 1 0
 I might picking these up. I like the fact that they thought of people who do not have giant faces.
  • 1 0
 @ would
  • 1 0
 2 sizes, nice touch
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