Oakley Sunglasses – The History Behind an Incredible Brand

The Oakley Lowdown

Oakley is one of the most popular and respected sports/fashion brands and is particularly renowned for its superb and innovative range of sunglasses. The company has been strongly committed to producing exceptionally high quality products with unique designs with the aim of achieving best range of sunglasses across the globe. They have defined perfection and world class athletes are often seen wearing Oakley sunglasses during competition.

The History

Oakley was founded in 1976 in the United States by Jim Jannard who discovered a unique grip material which he first used on motorbike hand grips and then consequently discovered the same material could be successfully incorporated on the arms of motorcycle goggles sunglasses for added comfort and a precise fit. Jannard had a reputation of being a little eccentric and had a ‘mad scientist’ nature whereby he would often transform everyday products into something completely different but all of which had to be functional and serve a purpose. This attitude and passion towards innovation and unique design is why Oakley is so successful.

After establishing that the motorbike grips could be incorporated into the design of motorcycling goggles, Jannard had the idea of taking this same concept and applying it to inventing a design for sport orientated sunglasses. He wanted to provide a combination of eye protections with a cutting edge look and optical competency ideal for athletes. The first pair of sunglasses produced was the Eyeshade which was a one-lens sunglass which used the same technology as that of goggles but had the aesthetic of sunglasses. This new and innovative product proved highly successful and got people talking about the Oakley brand. The look of the sunglasses were not as sleek and streamlined as they are today, but Jannard had certainly created a buzz and athletes who required eye protection  regarded Oakley as a cutting edge and state of the art brand who had invented an incredibly effective piece of equipment.

The next major step in the road to Oakley’s success came when a professional cyclist requested that Jannard designed sunglasses with different coloured lenses ideal for cycling and that would enhance visual clarity. This cyclist happened to be Tour De France champion Greg Lemond and this relationship proved to be the first of many.

The Oakley Science

Oakley is renowned for sponsoring a whole host of professional athletes including athletes in motorsports, sailing, surfing, snowboarding and cycling to name only a few. Overall Oakley is the favoured choice by professionals because of the following factors-:

Oakley uses very specific optical technology that has evolved after years of expensive and dedicated technological research. Their High Definition Optics (HDO) system improves the quality of vision for the wearer by greatly reducing visual distortion across the whole of the lens.
The sunglasses have optimised polarisation exceeding 99% with coatings that are moulded to the lens at the molecular level. Plutonite lenses give 100% protection against all UV rays and provide ultimate impact protection. Most ranges are also coated with Oakley’s tademarked HYDROPHOBIC coating which effectively repels rain, sweat and dust.
There are a variety of ranges to choose from including styles exclusively for men, women as well as unisex. These are grouped into Active, Polarised, Lifestyle, Special and Limited Editions.
Oakley frames are made for comfort with the use of lightweight materials in addition to a Three-Point Fit technology which provides ultimate optical performance.

Key New Styles

Oakley is also famous for constantly launching new and innovative styles which are made using only the best technologies and materials available.

The Oakley Jawbone

The Oakley Jawbone is a new model and was worn by Lance Armstrong in the recent Tour De France. The Jawbone sunglasses are so unique because the lenses are interchangeable and sit into the frame in such a way that they are prevented from damage, bending and the optics remain the same allowing precise and accurate vision. The frame swings out with ease allowing for removal and change of the lenses without causing fingerprints. This also allows the riders to adjust the lenses according to the natural light.

The Oakley O Rokr and the Oakley Thump

The Oakley O Rokr Bluetooth shades and the Oakley Thump are incredibly high tech as incorporate Blue Tooth facilities and MP3 players for on-the-go contact and the ability to listen to your favourite music.

The Oakley Pit Boss

After four years of research and design, the Oakley Pit Boss sport sunglasses have been released as the flagship product for the new Oakley Elite collection and Jannard was largely responsible for ensuring that the Pit Boss shades mark the ultimate in perfection. The frames feature sport polarized and smudge proof lenses with ultra lightweight titanium inserts and an O-Matter frame. The wrap around visor style Pit Boss sunglasses are crafted to perfection and look absolutely striking in true Oakley style.

The Overall Unique Oakley Style

Oakley sunglasses certainly have a high tech aesthetic and depict the essence of portraying power and success. However, as well as catering for the sports industry, Oakley has gained high recognition in the fashion world with some of the more generic fashion styles such as the Juliet and the Grapevine frames being spotted on many celebrities. The frames are sharp looking with a sleek and streamlined aesthetic and with bold coloured lens colours these are definitely statement sunglasses and still provide ultimate function and eye protection. You instantly recognise a pair of Oakley sunglasses and the general defining features include narrow lenses and slim straight arms incorporating the iconic Oakley O logo.

There is a huge array of Oakley sunglasses to choose from within the various collections, whether you are looking for something specifically to enhance your sports performance, or you are seeking an investment pair of sunglasses which look timelessly stylish and provide the best eye protection for a variety of on-the-go activities. The brand is entirely dedicated to designing sunglasses which meet the needs of its customers and use only the best technologies and materials to ensure your sunglasses will go the distance.