The History And Evolution Of Oakley

TIMELINE: The History & Evolution Of 1975 Jim Jannard sets up Oakley in his garage, working with an initial investment of just $300. Jannard named the company after his dog, who had the same name. The Oakley founder began the company by selling unique handle grips for motorcross riders, made of his innovative 'Unobtainium' material. Oakley's first product was called 'The Oakley Grip'. O A KL EY 1980 After nearly five years of successful products for the motocross world, including gloves, grips, elbow and chin guards and others, the Oakley founder releases the O-Frame goggles, receiving a huge amount of success and recognition. Worldwide Patents 575 Patents currently owned worldwide by Oakley, as well as 1100 trademarks. These include Unobtanium, Black Iridium, HDO (High Definition Optics), O ROKR, RAZRWIRE, Oakley Stockholm, SOLFX, Hydrophobic coating and many others. 1983 Oakley releases their first variation of the ski goggle. Product Ranges Sunglasses Oakley is one of the world's leading suppliers of sunglasses, delivering contemporary style and innovative modern technologies. 1984 Oakley releases their first pair of sunglasses, the Factory Pilot Eyeshades. Prescription Eyewear In addition to their famous sunglasses, Oakley also offer opthalmic-specific frames and 1985 corrective sun lenses. Oakley releases the Frogskin sunglasses. Goggles Oakley also make sports-orientated goggles, which are developed for motocross, mountain biking, snowboarding, BMX and skiing. They also offer Stockholm goggles made just for women. 1995 After a decade of success with the sporting frames, as well as both the sports-inspired and casual sunglasses, Oakley becomes a public company, valued at around $820 million. Footwear In addition to a full line of sandals and golf shoes, Oakley offers footwear for snow, hiking, motor sports racing and military applications. 2004 Watches A Oakley began making watches years ago, and now produce a full range of high-end timepieces. Oakley signs a four-year agreement to design and manufacture eyewear in collaboration with Fox Racing. In addition to these ranges, Oakley also now produce bags, purses, backpacks, wallets, belts, surfboard bags, apparel and more. 2006 Oakley acquires the Oliver Peoples group; a hugely successful manufacturer of high-end, branded eyewear. Associated Sports Oakley produce products aimed at athletes competing in numerous different sports, also sponsoring high-profile athletes in associated industries. Lets have a look at the sports Oakley are involved with: 2007 Moto GP Formula 1 Motocross Beach Volleyball Cycling Mountain Biking Skating BMX Skiing Snowboarding Surfing Wakeboarding Cricket Triathalon Tennis Sailing Rowing Ice Skating Running Canoeing Oakley merges with Luxottica, an Italian group with a portfolio of brands including Vogue, Persol and Ray-Ban. The deal was reportedly worth $2.1 billion. Product Testing 2011 Oakley sunglasses all comply with (and regularly exceed) the ANSI Z87.1 requirements for impact protection and optical standards. In order to be passed for sale, the lenses, frames and optical clarity of the the lenses must meet strict requirements: Oakley are now one of the biggest and most popular eyewear brands in the world, selling millions of frames every year. They own thousands of patents and sponsor some of the world's top athletes, including Lance Armstrong, Shaun White, Rory Mcllroy and Frames All Oakley frames must provide high levels of impact resistance to ANSI standards. many, many more. Lenses All Oakley lenses must offer protection from impact, sun and wind. Oakley lenses are made from their patented Plutonite material, which offers 100% protection from UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Optical Clarity All Oakley sunglasses pass ANSI Z87.1 optical standards thanks to their High Definition Optics system, which is featured in all Oakley lenses. Infographic bought to you by Direct Sight; official stockists of Oakley sunglasses. Save yourself up to 80% on high street prices by visiting our website at: http://www.directsight.co.uk B8311