Protective eyewear including a base, a floating protective wireframe (or lenses), an ear piece and a nose piece. The base can be substantially oval in shape, such that the base can surround the eyes of a user wearing the protective eyewear apparatus. The protective cage connects to the frame by snap fit or other means, and is otherwise spaced from and free-floating relative to the frame. This results in eyewear that is more comfortable to wear on a continuous basis and more reliable protection, at least meeting ASTM F 803-03 impact requirements.
