Oakley has been in the eyewear industry for decades. Starting in 1975, the brand released several eyewear collections that earned the public’s praise and support thanks to their innovative design and function. Bonafide Research’s market report on global eyewear counts Oakley as one of its top players, thanks to the range of eyeglasses and sunglasses they create for people of various ages, occupations, and gender. Due to Oakley and other brands’ success, the global eyewear market is set to reach $182.02 billion by 2028.
Despite the brand’s success with its more modern eyewear, Oakley recently brought back a few of its past sunglass designs. Given Oakley’s success today, what pushed them to make this decision? If you’d like to find out, let’s take a look at the brand’s most iconic glasses from its archive first:
The Most Popular Glasses from Oakley’s Archive
Why Did Oakley Bring Back Their Past Sunglass Designs?
As mentioned above, Oakley earned popularity and became an eyewear giant by creating the most innovative designs that the world has ever seen. They’re always creating new designs: the present Oakley sunglasses collection consists of modern designs ranging from sports sunglasses for skating to more casual, everyday pieces. Some of its current designs include the Holbrook XL and the Hydra.
Despite already being successful with such pairs, the brand decided to pull some of its designs out of the archive. According to Oakley’s Vice President of Brand Soul Brian Takumi, their archive is one of its best-kept secrets, and keeping it as such would be a miscalculation given the popularity of past designs.
In line with the revival of Y2K fashion characterized by low-rise jeans, lower back tattoos, and denim everything, as explained in a Guardian article, the brand wants to bring back its 90s designs for the Gen Z-ers enjoying this revival. Given this, Oakley revealed the Sutro in 2019: cycling sunglasses heavily inspired by the Razor Blades. Compared to its predecessor, the Sutro has a more casual look for leisure purposes.
In 2022, it relaunched the Eye Jacket as Eye Jacket Redux. It now comes in more vibrant colors, patterns, and polarized lenses, giving it some uniqueness despite maintaining the same bold, oval silhouette. With this, it successfully combines its 90s appeal with a modern twist.
Oakley’s eyewear has always been famous for its designs. With the return of its most iconic designs, may you find the perfect pair that suits your love for the 90s and Y2K fashion in the present time.
Some people may perceive Oakley as a sports eyewear brand, akin to other big names like NIKE Inc. Although the brand creates many sunglasses for sports, including golf, snowboarding, and cycling, it also produces more casual eyewear for fashion and everyday purposes. If you’re not convinced, take a look at these glasses, which you may recognize:
Oakley Razor Blades
This pair from 1984 was loved for its “hip design.” It was made for cyclists, so it covers a larger area of the face—specifically, the entire eye area—to protect their eyes from the sun, wind, and other elements that may disrupt their vision. Aside from cycling, it became fashionable for everyday wear thanks to its bold colors and versatile design.
Oakley Eye Jacket
Credit: @nostalgic_anthropology on Instagram
The Oakley Eye Jacket was introduced in 1994. During this time, the brand was transitioning to more sporty designs, so you’ll notice how the Eye Jacket had a more sleek look that communicates speed and dimension. This pair was made for sports since it resembled the “shield” type of sunglasses, combined with the brand’s intention to make a fresher-looking pair for the sports lifestyle.