History

Back in the ‘70s, mad scientist and Oakley founder Jim Jannard had one simple vision: to reinvent sport products from scratch. By inventing Unobtainium®, a material that turns sticky when wet, he turned motorcycle handgrips from slippery rubber tubes into grips with grasp.

In 1984, Jannard introduced the Oakley Eyeshades, and the world saw the birth of sports performance eyewear. The Eyeshades were entirely designed on the principles of strength, function and style. They were bigger, lighter and brighter. And Jannard’s Unobtainium® made them stay where they should.

In 1986, Greg Lemond and his Eyeshades became the first Americans to win the largest single annual sporting event in the world: the Tour de France. Although the Eyeshades were originally designed for cycling only; they quickly became iconic well beyond it.

Ever since, new Oakley models such as the Frogskin, the Radar™ and the Jawbone have a history of challenging the status quo. Always technical. Always avant-garde. Never blending in.