Oakley

Oakley was started by James Jannard in 1975 in his garage with an initial investment of $300. The name Oakley came from Jannard's dog, an English Setter. 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. The material used to make the grips was called "Unobtanium," a unique creation by Jannard that would get a tacky grip to it when it would become wet, rather than slipping out of the riders hand. Unobtanium is still used to make the earsocks on Oakley glasses, and many of the nose pieces. 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.