The Mission Impossible movies are one of the few recurring productions that’s lasted as long as it has while continuing to up the ante with each stunt. Much of this is thanks to Tom Cruise’s willingness to (and passion for) helping create the stunts and then doing them himself (even into his early 60s). From climbing the Burj Khalifa to hanging off a passenger plane’s door as it takes off, every entry into the series is more daring than the last. And in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the team pulls off what many consider to be not only the biggest stunt in the franchise, but in recent movie history as well. In order to give Ethan Hunt the proper equipment for jumping a bike off a large ramp (on top of an even larger mountain), Oakley was tapped to create a custom pair of glasses, the ECLP23, that could get the job done.
These glasses were custom-built for a significantly dangerous stunt (for Hunt and Cruise), so it was essential that they offered enough protection. And Oakley was the perfect choice for the job, with a trusted track record of making performance eyewear since the ‘70s. The ECLP23 glasses feature High Speed Protection and an expanded field of view (so vision isn’t lost on the side). This “Zero Gravity” design was built around Tom Cruise’s face, and it features a fastened band instead of the traditional temples.
Although you can’t buy these particular glasses, Oakley’s Plazma lineup certainly has a similar vibe, and you can catch Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One now to see the custom shades in action.
If that’s not enough, you can see the ECLP23 glasses in the Oakley Headquarters at One Icon this summer, and check out what went down behind the scenes.
