Oakley, Inc. is a
company known mostly for their
high end sunglasses , sports visors, and
ski goggles. They also make
watches,
clothing,
bags,
backpacks,
shoes,
prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, and other
accessories.
Oakley was started by Jim Jannard in 1975 in his garage with an initial investment of $300. Jannard began by selling what he called 'The Oakley Grip' out of the back of his car at motocross events. His motorcycle grips were unlike other grips riders had seen at the time.
Although the grips were successful, brand recognition was limited as the grips were usually concealed by the riders' hands. In 1980, Jannard released a pair of goggles called the O-Frame. With the 'Oakley' logo present on the strap, onlookers began to recognize the brand. In 1984, Oakley introduced a pair of sunglasses called the Eyeshade, which were made of plastic and featured removable lenses. They were popularized by Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and other professional cyclists. Oakley continued to introduce new models of sunglasses, including the Blades, Razor Blades, Frogskins, and the Mumbos, which eventually evolved into the M-Frame series of glasses.[2]
Oakley signed a four-year agreement to manufacture eyewear designed by it and Fox Racing in September 2004. These products are sold as the Fox Eyewear brand.[3]
