The History of SMITH Goggles

In 1964, an orthodontist and passionate skier named Dr. Bob Smith became frustrated with the way his goggles would fog up and become clogged with snow around the vents. He and his wife Jean, also an avid skier, decided to address the issue. Armed with Bob’s dental tools, the couple sat at their kitchen table and created the first insulated dual-lens ski goggles. Their innovation featured a dual lens or thermal lens, foam-insulated vents, and a new strap that held the goggles tighter against the wearer’s face than older models. The revolutionary goggles dramatically improved skier visibility by reducing the occurrence of condensation on the goggle lens. Bob began selling his goggles to fellow skiers, sometimes in exchange for lift tickets. Then in 1968, he received a patent for the new goggles. He started SMITH and began selling them more widely; the company eventually expanded globally. Over the years, the company has continued to innovate on Dr. Smith’s original goggle design with modern improvements such as a wider field of vision and interchangeable magnetic lenses. Today, SMITH continues to make goggles for skiers and snowboarders as well as other winter sports gear such as helmets.