The famous Oakley brand was founded by a man named Jim Jannard who was renowned for being somewhat of a mad scientist character and was constantly questioning the current limitations of industry standards. Few people took notice of Jannard’s ideas but this did not deter him from starting his own company in 1975. With capital of just $300 and the simple idea of making products that would work better and look better than anything else on the market, he set about building his empire.
Jannard’s first project was developing a new kind of motorcycle handgrip with a unique tread material and a shape that fit and moulded to the rider’s closed hand. With the strong belief that existing products could always be made better and more effective, Jannard was determined to be one of the innovators who took it upon themselves to fulfil this goal. It wasn’t long before top motorcycling professionals took notice of the new design and its Unobtainium material that increased grip with sweat.
This unique discovery inspired Jim to think even further outside of the box and to challenge conventional manufacturing methods. The new handgrip became hugely successful in MX racing for the following17 years and Jannard wanted to see what other products could be developed using the same concept. Jannard then got to work on creating a pair of sunglasses using the same grip idea and material which lead to the famous Oakley O Frame goggle; with a lens curved in the perfect arc of a cylinder. Again, popular with sports professionals including Mark Barnett, Marty Smith, Johnny O‘Mara and Jeff Ward, the goggles were considered a revolutionary product and championed for their clarity and wide peripheral view.
The success of the Oakley O Frame goggles spurred Jannard to return to his workspace and begin a project which focused on completely reinventing sunglasses designed specifically for sports. Again, many people were sceptical and few believed it could be done successfully, especially considering that Jannard was aiming to compete against the eyewear industry’s largest and renowned companies. However, Jim used his innovation and inspiration from his previous inventions to create ‘Eyeshades’; a design that began an evolution of eyewear which was escalated from a generic accessory to vital sports equipment.
Soon after the Eyeshades were manufactured, world-class cycling competitor Greg LeMond, who became a three-time winner of the Tour de France approached Oakley for a pair in addition to other pros including Scott Tinley, Mark Allen and Lance Armstrong. All of these athletes demanded the performance and protection offered by Eyeshades that could not be found in sunglasses made by any other brand.
The Oakley brand progressed from strength to strength. Decades of innovation saw new product technologies in addition to superior aesthetic forms which fuse science and art and have been awarded more than 600 patents worldwide. Today, Jannard’s Oakley brand has become the one that every sports orientated brand aspires to be like, but Jannard’s innovation, forward thinking and the ability to move beyond convention has extended to the entire Oakley team enabling the brand to always remain one step ahead of its competitors. Oakley prides itself on producing only the very best according to professional standards and therefore any pair of Oakley sunglasses, goggles, Oakley watches or Oakley accessories are assured to be of only the most superior quality, combining technical and aesthetic excellence with flawless performance.
Oakley goggles are the choice of many sport, ski and snowboarding professionals and the collection is definitely is one of most technically advanced in the sports industry, boasting the same sleek design and technical innovation as other Oakley products and most importantly, offering full face and eye protection whilst up on the slopes! Oakley’s main objective when designing the range of goggles is for each and every pair to meet the demands of top athletes in terms of performance, protection and style.
Like that of the sunglasses, one of the defining technical features of Oakley goggles is the incorporation of High Definition Optics (HDO) which is a lens technology unique to the Oakley brand and allows for your peripheral view to be maximised to full potential and also helps to reduce glare for clearer and precise vision.
Oakley goggles also include features such as triple-layered polar fleece for protection against sweat and to increase comfort – particularly for all day wear and Oakley’s F3 anti-fog technology which effectively blocks out 100% of all UV light. The brand’s use of design specifications such as 3D cranial geometry achieves a precise fit and a significant amount of design time is spent ensuring the goggles are optically correct and engineered to maximise peripheral and downward vision whilst simultaneously optimising impact protection.
Of course, in addition to boasting intense function, durability and protection, great style is high on the design agenda and the collection of Oakley goggles are sharp and slick looking and are available in a range of vibrant colours which also allows you to be clearly visible on the slopes. The lenses are also brightly toned; some with a polarised finish and some with a block colour such as high intensity yellow or red and the Oakley logo is also typically displayed upon the prominent section of the strap. Oakley also have a superb range of ladies goggles, some of which are available in ultra feminine colours such as baby pink and pearlised white for a super chic finish.
Whatever your goggle requirements, Oakley has the perfect pair to suit your style and needs, with safety and eye protection always at the forefront of the overall design. Renowned for being a major player in the sports industry, the fact that Oakley is the choice of numerous professional athletes is testament to just how incredible the range of Oakley goggles are and how they can work to enhance your performance and allow you to enjoy the experience to its full potential.
