In 1975, a motocross enthusiast named Jim Jannard started selling motorcycle grips out of his car at races, made from a material he called Unobtainium, with about $300 in capital. He named the company Oakley after his dog. From grips he moved to goggles, then sunglasses, and built one of the most aggressive performance-eyewear brands in the world, before losing it in one of the industry’s more brutal corporate power plays.
The short version: Oakley, founded 1975 and owned by eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, makes high-performance sunglasses, goggles, and sports eyewear with genuinely advanced lens technology. Buy it for performance sunglasses and goggles where optics and coverage matter, especially for high-speed sports and bright, demanding light. It competes head-to-head with Smith, with a bolder, more aggressive design language.
Where Oakley came from
Jannard’s Unobtainium grips funded a leap into eyewear, and Oakley’s patented lens tech (now PRIZM) and bold styling made it a performance-sports icon with hundreds of patents. The dark chapter came in the 2000s: when Oakley refused to lower wholesale prices, Luxottica pulled Oakley from its dominant retail chains, the stock cratered, and Luxottica bought the weakened company for $2.1 billion in 2007. Today it sits inside EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyewear conglomerate.
What they actually make well
Performance sunglasses and goggles with advanced PRIZM lens technology, plus helmets and apparel. Its aggressive styling and optical coverage suit high-speed, high-glare sports, competing directly with the more understated Smith on optics and fit.
Built to last?
Optical and build quality are high, with replaceable lenses and a solid warranty. The tension is corporate: as part of a conglomerate criticized for enormous markups and market dominance, Oakley’s pricing reflects its owner’s position as much as its product, an honest thing for a buyer to know.
The causes they actually fund
Oakley supports athlete and sports communities and moves through parent EssilorLuxottica’s vision-focused philanthropy (notably eye-care access programs). Its cause work is less land-and-conservation oriented than the outdoor apparel leaders in this series, and more sport-and-vision focused.
Where this gear comes from, and where it earns its place
Born in Southern California’s motocross scene, at home in bright, fast, high-glare conditions: the exposed desert light of our Sonoran Desert guide and open, sunlit country across the Trail Atlas.
The honest take
Oakley’s optics are genuinely excellent, but you are buying from the eyewear world’s dominant conglomerate, with pricing to match, and the styling is bold to a fault for some. For understated outdoor use, Smith may suit better; for aggressive performance and PRIZM’s clarity in harsh light, Oakley delivers. Buy it for the optics, with eyes open about the owner.
Motorcycle grips named after a dog, that became a performance-eyewear giant. More makers in Brands We Love. Last verified July 2026.