Gargoyles mission is to the point—to protect your eyes at all costs. In 1979, Dennis Burns revolutionized the eyewear industry with his invention of Toric lens technology. Burns noticed that flat sunglasses left eyes exposed and unsafe. However, he was also unhappy with the visual distortion and eye stress caused by curved lenses. His solution was the Toric lens, a cap-shaped lens with a focal length in two orientations perpendicular to each other. As a result, Gargoyles was created with Burns’ state-of-the-art invention as the foundation of the brand. The company’s mission is to engineer sunglasses that not only cover the entire orbit of the eye to prevent light leaks, but also to craft safety-rated lenses that are made of high-index polycarbonate for incredible strength without added weight. The U.S. Army took note and used them for its own ballistic protection. Today, all Gargoyles lenses and frames meet or exceed US and ANSI regulations as well as standards for UV protection. Gargoyles lenses and frames are put through four rigorous tests to ensure they pass or exceed the ballistic standards. Rest assured, your eyes will be protected with any pair of Gargoyles sunglasses.