The Apollo is the Heat Wave frame you buy off the clock, not on it. It is the official eyewear of the 2026 Mint 400, the roughest off-road race in the country, and it is built for the same conditions: sun, dust, and speed. It is not a Z87 safety frame, and it does not try to be one. Here is what it actually is and who it is for.
What the Apollo actually is
The Heat Wave Apollo is an aviator-shaped sunglass rated to ANSI Z80.3, the standard for sunglasses and general eyewear rather than the Z87.1 occupational impact standard. That distinction matters: Z80.3 confirms optical quality and 100% UV protection, but it is not the high-mass, high-velocity impact rating that a Z87 safety frame like the USA Vise carries. Wear the Apollo for driving, the trail, or a day at the lake. Do not count on it as jobsite eye protection.
Fit and build
The Apollo runs a regular fit rated for square, heart, and oval faces, with a 143mm frame front, 51mm lenses, and 145mm temples, all in polycarbonate. It ships in one lens color, black, and comes with a microfiber pouch. It is a clean, single-configuration frame rather than a lineup of colorways, which keeps the decision simple: you are buying this shape, in this finish, or you are looking elsewhere in the catalog.
Why the Mint 400 tie-in
Heat Wave built the Apollo as the official frame of the 2026 Mint 400, and the frame's whole pitch tracks with that: desert glare, speed, and a look that reads as motorsport rather than utility. If you want a frame with that pedigree and the aviator shape to match, this is the one in the lineup built specifically around it.
Apollo or a Z87 frame
The question that actually matters before you buy: do you need this frame to protect your eyes at work. If yes, the Apollo is the wrong pick, full stop, and the Apollo vs. USA Vise comparison walks through the Z87-rated alternative in the same catalog. If the Apollo is a second pair for driving, the desert, or the day off, it does its job well and looks the part doing it.
See it next to the rest of the lineup in the Heat Wave collection, or read the full Heat Wave Visual buyer's guide for how every frame in the line compares.
Common questions
Is the Heat Wave Apollo Z87 rated?
No. The Apollo is rated ANSI Z80.3, the sunglass and general-eyewear standard, not the ANSI Z87.1 occupational impact standard. It is not built or rated as jobsite eye protection.
What face shapes does the Apollo fit?
Heat Wave rates it a regular fit suited to square, heart, and oval faces, at a 143mm frame front and 145mm temples.
Is the Apollo the same as the USA Vise?
No. The Apollo is a Z80.3 sunglass built for style and UV protection off the clock. The USA Vise is a Z87.1+ safety frame built for the job. They sit at different points in the catalog for different days.
What lens colors does the Apollo come in?
One: black. It is a single-configuration frame rather than a multi-colorway release.
