Much like most of his characters, Tom Cruise is a man on a mission. Throughout his decades-long career, the film star seems dedicated to infusing as much action, adrenaline, and, interestingly, eyewear as possible in his movies. Just last year, Cruise’s seventh Mission Impossible installment, “Dead Reckoning: Part One,” thrilled fans with a heart-pumping cliff-jumping stunt featuring exclusive Oakley goggles.
With news of an upcoming sequel to “The Edge of Tomorrow,” set to release this year, and the next Mission Impossible film scheduled for a 2025 premiere, let’s look back at some of the Hollywood icon’s most memorable eyewear collaborations.
Top Gun x Ray-Ban
Undoubtedly, one of Cruise’s most successful film franchises, the “Top Gun” series, saw the actor put aviation and Ray-Bans in the mainstream. According to reports, sales for this model jumped by 40% in the seven months since the first film’s release in 1986. In the flick, Cruise’s character Maverick became known for his signature aviator sunglasses. First designed in the ’30s to protect aviators’ eyes from the sun, these shades are easily recognizable thanks to their slim metal frames and teardrop-shaped lenses. Decades later, aviators are still some of the most popular Ray-Bans. Contemporary iterations can now be used for prescriptions and made with hypoallergenic materials. In 2022, Cruise proved how influential he and “Top Gun” are again with the sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.” Amid the rave reviews and public support, “Maverick” saw aviators become the summer’s best-selling Ray-Ban product.
Cocktail x Persol
Another frequent collaborator, Persol, was one of the first eyewear brands that Cruise worked with in his career. One of the most well-known times he wore this eyewear was in 1988s “Cocktail.” While the movie’s cinematic value is debated today, its use of eyewear to signal the main character, Brian Flanagan’s (Cruise) ambition and confidence is universally recognized. So much so that Persol re-released this same model in 2019. This is in line with the brand’s theme of releasing movie-centric collections. In 2022, the Italian brand even introduced a cinema-inspired collection of casual sunglasses. These shades drew inspiration from classic Persol film collabs, including those of ’60s legend Steve McQueen.
Mission Impossible x Oakley
As mentioned earlier, Oakley is a brand heavily featured in the Mission Impossible franchise. Aside from the most recent collab in “Dead Reckoning,” Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has also used other Oakley models. One of the most well-known instances was in “Mission Impossible 2,” released in 2001. There, Hunt receives a mission briefing through a pair of tech-enhanced Romeo shades. While this scene only lasted a few minutes, the image of Cruise standing in a vast canyon wearing his sleek eyewear has left a lasting impact. In fact, tennis phenom Roger Federer even says this scene inspired him to release his own line of sunglasses. Although there is no news yet on whether or not Oakley will be making another appearance in the yet-to-be-named eighth Mission Impossible movie, such a partnership would surely be one for the books, given that many believe this will be Cruise’s final stint as the international superspy.
Tom Cruise has one of Hollywood’s most exciting and illustrious careers, but these eyewear collabs truly solidify his place as a style icon for an entire generation.
