Rudy Project celebrates history with retro glasses
In 1986, the then newly founded Rudy Project brand presented a pair of sports glasses that was to become an icon: the "Super Performance", the brand's first Shield model.
This product quickly gained international recognition thanks to the outstanding success of Italian cyclist Moreno Argentin, who wore the glasses when he won the Road Cycling World Championships in Colorado Springs. This success marked Rudy Project's breakthrough and positioned the company as an innovative brand.
The Super Performance is still considered a prime example in the field of sports accessories because it was groundbreaking and revolutionary.
The legend, which has never been denied by those involved, says that Rudy Barbazza, the founder of Rudy Project, met Argentin at a pool table the night before the World Cup. There he is said to have reached a sponsorship agreement with him in the event of a victory. The enterprising entrepreneur from Veneto suggested to the title contender: "Wear these glasses tomorrow, win the World Cup and I will sponsor you!". The deal was allegedly sealed with a simple handshake.
Both kept their promise: Moreno Argentin won the world championship in the USA ahead of Mottet in a sprint to the finish line of over a kilometer, his gaze hidden behind those very glasses. Argentin became a Rudy Project testimonial, and his success turned the Super Performance into a cult product.
On the occasion of the company's 40th anniversary and 39 years after the triumph in Colorado Springs, which made the glasses famous worldwide, Rudy Project is now presenting an exclusive anniversary model in a strictly limited edition of only 100 numbered pieces: the "Performance 40".
"The past inspires innovation for the future: these glasses celebrate the iconic model that shaped an era, taking its soul and design and combining them with the most advanced materials and technologies," says Simone Barbazza, Marketing Director and Sustainability Manager at Rudy Project. "It is a tribute to our past and to the people - first and foremost my father - who paved the way for us today. The Performance 40 represents Rudy Project looking forward without forgetting where we come from: It celebrates the long history of a brand that always looks to the future."
The Performance 40 is a technological gem for collectors: its frame is made of titanium - a precious and hypoallergenic material - and is produced using a 3D printing process. Thanks to this special structure, the glasses are hollow and therefore extremely light: they weigh just 36 grams.
The model is available in a metallic grey color and has a toric lens that reproduces the curvature of the original model, as well as an adjustable nose bridge.
The Rudy Project logo, the signature of Rudy Barbazza and the consecutive numbering of the glasses from 1 to 100 are engraved directly onto the lens using laser technology and complete the high-quality finish.
Source: www.rudyproject.com
