While there are a number of well known eyewear manufacturers and designer brands, none is as famous as the iconic Oakley label. The Oakley brand is synonymous with the history and culture of sunglasses, with the brand holding over 600 patents for eyewear and related products. As well as their continuing production of sunglasses and accessories, Oakley also produce a lot of sports and performance related gear. Other than sunglasses, some of the other products that Oakley make include sports visors, ski goggles, watches, bags, shoes, prescription glasses, clothing, and sports eyewear. One of the reasons why Oakley are so well known around the world is the long history that they have of producing and selling high quality eyewear.
The Oakley brand began back in 1975, when Jim Jannard started the company in his garage with an investment of only $300. One interesting fact that many people don’t know is that the name Oakley cam from Jannard’s dog, an English Setter. The original Oakley product was a motorcycle grip that Jannard sold from his car at motocross events, which he designed using a patented material known as UNOBTANIUM. This material is one of the reasons why the brand managed to differentiate itself from its competition, and it is still used today on Oakley sunglasses to make earsocks and nose pieces. After the initial success of the motorcycle grips, Oakley went on to produce many other popular products. Some of the most popular Oakley creations included number plates, gloves, grips, elbow guards, chin guards, and goggles for the BMX and Motocross communities.
This association with sporting culture and the sports establishment is part of the reason why Oakley became such an iconic brand. In fact, they did not manufacture their first pair of sunglasses until well into the 1980s, when the original Factory Pilot Eyeshades were produced. These were followed by the Oakley Frogskin, which were the first real casual fashion oriented Oakley design. Oakley continue to sponsor a number of professional sports people and competitions, although they are now also associated with the fashion industry. On June 21, 2007, Italian group Luxottica announced that it would merge with the Oakley company in a deal worth $2.1 billion. This deal went through and Oakley are now in the portfolio of the Milan-based Luxottica group, which also includes a number of more fashion oriented labels such as Ray-Ban, Persol, and Vogue.