In 1975, Jim Jannard founded a company with $300 and his own garage in Southern California as his workplace. The first product was a motorcycle grip made from a new material he named Unobtanium. The name sounded almost like a joke, but the material proved truly exceptional: rubbery, wear-resistant, with grip that increased with moisture instead of decreasing. This principle — a solution that performs better in real-world conditions — became the foundation of everything Oakley does to this day.
When the brand moved into eyewear, the approach remained unchanged. Instead of creating a product similar to what already existed on the market, Oakley developed its own materials, designs, and lens technologies. Over five decades, the company registered over 600 patents — more than most competitors throughout their entire history. This is not a marketing number, but proof that the brand truly built something of its own.
FROM SPORTS TO STREETS
For a long time, Oakley was associated exclusively with sports: skiing, cycling, motocross, military equipment. Since 1987, the brand has supplied products to the US army, and its eyewear has been worn by top-level athletes — from cyclists to surfers. But the breakthrough came not when Oakley decided to enter fashion, but when fashion itself came to Oakley.
It all started with Frogskins — a model released in 1985 as a lifestyle, not a sports, product. The shape, combining a classic silhouette with Oakley's characteristic geometry and technological filling, proved to be incredibly durable. Today, Frogskins is one of the most recognizable models in the streetwear scene, and the brand constantly releases new colorways and limited collaborations based on this design.
The streetwear community noticed Oakley long before major fashion media began writing about the brand in a fashion context. Collaborations with WTAPS, fragment design Hiroshi Fujiwara, and A-COLD-WALL* Samuel Ross officially confirmed this direction. Particularly significant was the Oakley Factory Team project — a platform for more experimental design, which attracted collaborations with Brain Dead and other representatives of the independent streetwear scene. The brand that started with motorcycle grips now stands on the same shelf as the most discussed names in contemporary urban culture.
PRIZM TECHNOLOGY: WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE
Among all of Oakley's solutions, Prizm technology has become the most recognizable. Its logic differs from the standard approach to sunglasses: instead of simply darkening the lens, Prizm enhances specific colors and contrasts important in a particular environment. Prizm Everyday is optimized for urban conditions, Prizm Road — for cycling on asphalt, Prizm Snow — for mountain snow with its specific light reflection. This is not a marketing difference between names, but a real adaptation to a specific use.
Oakley frames are mainly made of O-Matter — a proprietary polymer that is lightweight, flexible, and impact-resistant. Unobtanium elements on the nose pads and temples provide grip even during intense physical exertion. In everyday wear, this simply means one thing: the glasses stay in place and do not require constant adjustment throughout the day.
OAKLEY APPAREL: TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT UNNECESSARY FUSS
Oakley apparel is a separate part of the brand that is often underestimated. Lines for training, active leisure, and urban everyday wear share a common logic: technical fabrics, thoughtful cut, and visual restraint. There are no flashy graphics for the sake of graphics here — most items are designed to be worn in the city without any contextual limitations.
Oakley hoodies, t-shirts, pants, and jackets go well with other brands — they don't scream about themselves, but they are instantly recognizable to those who know. This very feature has made the brand's apparel a part of the everyday wardrobe of people far removed from the purely athletic world. Something that works equally well on a morning run and at a cafe afterward — without needing a change of clothes.
OAKLEY AT NEWBORN K
NEWBORN K collaborates with the official Oakley distributor — all goods in the store are original and come from the brand's current collections. We select our assortment with everyday wear in mind: eyewear from the Frogskins and Prizm lines, and apparel that naturally fits into an urban wardrobe. Not the entire catalog from top to bottom — only what is truly worn, not stored in a box.
The current offer can be viewed in the Oakley collection on the NEWBORN K website.
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