4 of The Most Iconic Sunglasses in Tom Cruise Movies

Tom Cruise is regarded as a Hollywood icon, as he has received various accolades and awards for his work while also having a lasting influence within the industry. An article from Movie Web shows that Cruise’s enduring presence in Hollywood is mostly because of his charisma and talent, which helped him establish a good rapport with the public over the past forty years of his career. 

Undeniably one of the biggest actors in cinematic history, Cruise’s films have a signature style that includes death-defying stunts and choreographed fight sequences that leave audiences in awe.

Aside from heart-pumping feats, another signature that Cruise employs in his films is the use of sunglasses. These have even helped popularize certain styles and started trends among the general public.

Here, we detail some of the most iconic sunglasses Cruise has worn in his movies and why they’re worth checking out. 

Credit: Eva Rinaldi under License CC BY-SA 2.0. No changes were made to the image.

Ray-Ban Wayfarer

The film Risky Business (1983) was arguably the one responsible for putting Cruise on the Hollywood map. While he had acting gigs prior to this, he was virtually unknown before he took up the role of Joel Goodsen and cemented his presence in the commercially and critically successful film. 

Besides giving him a chance to break out as an actor, the film also highlighted Cruise’s great style. One of the most iconic looks in the film is when he’s wearing a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. Today, this style is among the brand’s most popular in regular and prescription sunglasses.

They’re now considered among the brand’s most recognizable frames and come in Classic and New models to suit every wearer. This success is largely thanks to Cruise’s role, which helped associate Wayfarers with a cool image that many strive to replicate. 

Persol Havana 

Knight and Day (2010) is a satirical action comedy film where Cruise shined because he did his own stunts for a majority of the scenes. While news sources note that Knight and Day was considered a commercial failure, fans were able to appreciate Cruise’s impressive skills in the film.

As a talented driver, he was able to maneuver cars and motorcycles and supply action-packed scenes that had audiences on the edge of their seats. 

Additionally, his status as a style icon brought the spotlight to the pair of Persol Havana sunglasses Cruise wore in the film. Persol sunglasses are known for being a staple with designer brands, as these highlight retro-inspired silhouettes that still deliver timeless elegance.

Other popular frames besides the Havana include the Elio and Jean, which are available in different colors to complement any wearer’s personal style for effortless chic. 

Oakley Romeo

The Mission Impossible franchise is one of the most successful series of American spy films, which is largely credited to Cruise’s performance. It is the 17th-highest-grossing film series worldwide, earning $4.09 billion at the box office.

Aside from providing thrills and spills, the films’ styling also got people buzzing. In particular, the second film in the series, aptly called Mission: Impossible II, garnered a lot of attention for its nifty use of sunglasses. 

In the film, Cruise was seen sporting a pair of Oakley Romeo sunglasses. These shades had a unique design that reflected the Y2K trends at the turn of the millennium and also gave Cruise’s character a futuristic edge while doing the action scenes.

While the Oakley Romeo sunglasses were not particularly popular upon release in 1998, Cruise wearing them in the film helped boost its success. This also set the foundation for a long-term relationship between the brand and Cruise. In the latest Mission: Impossible film, Oakley created custom-made goggles for a special motocross stunt. 

Ray-Ban Aviators

Playing Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun is another one of Cruise’s most iconic roles, especially as he got to portray a naval fighter with elite flying skills. The role added more to Cruise’s “cool and tough” image, and the accessories he wore in the film also helped with that.

As a naval pilot, it’s only fitting that Cruise wore a classic pair of Ray-Ban Aviators, which is one of the most famous styles of sunglasses in the world. 

Wearing them in one Top Gun film wasn’t enough, as Cruise also sported Aviators in the film’s sequel, which came almost 40 years after the original. While he still had a classic pair of Ray-Bans on, the sequel featured a modern update to the Aviator style and had gradient lenses that reflect the innovations done with sunglasses lens technology in the past years.

Following the release of both films, these iconic shades saw significant sales. Considering that a third Top Gun film is in the works, we can expect Aviators will be under the spotlight again.