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                                                                    EXHIBIT 5.1

                               KANE KESSLER, P.C.
                          1350 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
                         NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019-4896
                                 (212) 541-6222






                                 July 6, 1998




Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

                           Re:     Bolle Inc.
                                   Registration Statement on Form S-8

Gentlemen:

                  We have acted as special counsel to Bolle Inc. a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation of a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") pertaining to
the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
of an offering of up to an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of the Company's
Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Shares"), pursuant to the
Company's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

                  We have made such legal and factual examinations and
inquiries, including an examination of originals or copies certified or
otherwise identified to our satisfaction of such documents, corporate records
and instruments, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of
this opinion. In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and
the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us
as copies.

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Securities and Exchange Commission
July 6, 1998
Page 2




                  We have assumed that the Company will cause certificates 
representing Shares issued in the future to be properly executed and delivered
and will take all other actions appropriate for the due and proper issuance of
such Shares. We have assumed for purposes of this opinion that options issued
under the Plan and the Shares issuable upon exercise of such options have been
duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company
and such options have been duly authorized and granted under the Plan. We
express no opinion regarding any shares reacquired by the Company after initial
issuance.

                  We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and are
not admitted to practice law in any other jurisdiction. We do not hold
ourselves out as being conversant with, and express no opinion as to, the laws
of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York and the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

                  Subject to the limitations stated in this letter, and subject
further to the following limitations, it is our opinion that the Shares issued
by the Company, upon due exercise of any option under and in accordance with
the Plan pursuant to which such option was granted, will, upon delivery thereof
and receipt by the Company of all and adequate consideration owed to the
Company under the terms of such option and the Plan, be validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.

                  The foregoing assumes that the aforesaid Registration
Statement will become and remain effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, prior to any offering of the Shares pursuant to the terms thereof and
will be amended, as appropriate, and that there will be compliance with all
applicable state securities laws in connection with the offering of such
securities, as well as compliance with the terms of the offering set forth in
the Registration Statement.


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Securities and Exchange Commission
July 6, 1998
Page 3



                  This opinion is rendered solely for your benefit and may not
be relied upon by any other person or entity. This opinion is provided to you
as of the date hereof. We undertake no, and hereby disclaim any obligation to
advise you of any change in any matter set forth herein. Without our prior
written consent, this opinion may not be quoted in whole or in part or
otherwise referred to in any report or document furnished to any person or
entity.

                  We consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we
are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.


                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     /s/ Kane Kessler  
                                                     ----------------- 
                                                     Kane Kessler, P.C.
*
