Oakley

Oakley began in 1975, when Jim Jannard left his job as a motorcycle parts distributor to build a brand of his own, naming it after his English Setter, Oakley Anne. The first product was the Oakley Grip, a motocross handlebar grip built around an exclusive rubber compound registered as Unobtainium, an ergonomic cam shape and an octopus tread pattern for traction.

From motocross goggles the company moved into eyewear, developing its own lens technologies such as Prizm, and then into apparel, helmets and footwear. Oakley describes its products as made by athletes for athletes: the people developing them ride and race in them, a community the brand calls the Factory Pilot Team. Oakley.com is operated by Luxottica of America Inc., and the brand traces its history on its own heritage pages.