What goggles did Michael Phelps use during swimming?

US swimmer Michael Phelps is unarguably a legend. With a tall legacy of earning the most number of Olympic medals in history, he is a superstar of global swimming. So, naturally, Phelps had a long queue of potential sponsors lining up for him.

His first endorsement deal was with Speedo. From 2004 to 2013, Michael Phelps exclusively wore their swim goggles for training and competitions. He used them while competing at the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing as well as the 2012 London Olympic Games. Specifically, Michael Phelps used the Speedo Speed Socket.

The lucrative deal with Speedo ended towards the end of 2013 and the brand chose to move on. Among the hoards of companies that must have wished to partner with him, a lesser-known company called Aqua Sphere, was chosen by Michael Phelps.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Phelps used their swim goggles, the MP Xceed, from his own line that he designed and tested himself.

Swimmers can see 180 degrees underwater with the MP Michael Phelps Aqua Sphere Xceed goggles, which have a high-performance, soft construction. The goggles are a crucial piece of a swimmer's equipment because of their excellent field of vision, comfort, and softness.

A low-profile, airtight seal is offered by the innovative Softeril Compressed Micro-Gasket on the goggles. Phelps' Xceed goggles also have an exoskeleton that increases structural strength and a hydrodynamic head buckle that enables rapid adjustments.

These goggles are designed for competitive swimming and have revolutionary curved lens technology that gives athletes exceptional peripheral vision. The Compressed Micro-Gasket provides a leak-resistant seal and a low-profile design, while the exo-core and exo-skeleton of the goggles maximize stability and strength. As a result, the athletes may concentrate on their performance without being concerned that their goggles would leak.

Phelps was all praise for the new pair of goggles he was using.

According to Your Swim Log, he said at the time:

"The XCEED goggles are the best goggles that I have ever worn – they are super comfortable and the vision is insane. The ability to see so clearly with incredible peripheral vision allows me to see the wall and other swimmers underwater unlike ever before."

The deal with Aqua Sphere ended in 2020.

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"Being able to keep the head stationary while the swimmer is moving through the water is the key element of using a snorkel" - Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials - Day 6 (Image via Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The snorkel is the new in thing for every swimmer's mesh bag. Training with snorkels has a lot of benefits, from improving body position to straightening the neck-spine line. It also evens out muscle imbalances.

With Aqua Sphere, Michael Phelps created an MP brand of swimming gear that also included snorkels along with hand paddles and goggles. Along with long-time coach Bob Bowman, the iconic swimmer designed and tested the MP Focus Swim Snorkel. The goal was to build a snorkel that remained stable on the head of the swimmer.

Phelps explained his decision meticulously to the aforementioned publication:

"Being able to keep the head stationary while the swimmer is moving through the water is the key element of using a snorkel. The other (snorkels) we had used were very unstable in terms of moving around while he was swimming, particularly at speed."