BOC Week 3: Midterm Oakley

History about Oakley is it started in 1974 by Jim Janard.  He started out by making bike grips in the back of his car.  The special things about the grips is that they sucked up all the sweat from your hands so that you have better grip on the bike.  It was a huge success.  After doing that for two years he started to make goggles for people that rode dirt bikes.  He called them eye shades it was the second Oakley product of all time.  After a few years in the late 80’s he was driving in his convertible to San Diego and had on a pair of Rey Bans Wafares and realized that there is no protection on the side of your face from the sun.  The only protection that there was if you were looking right at the sun.  He wanted to come up with something that gave you protection all the way around your eyes so you can look out the side if you have too.  He came out with something called the blade.  It was a pair of glasses that wrapped all the way around your face so that you had amazing protection and the sun could not come in from any direction.  

The name Oakley comes from his dog.  Right when he stated to make the Blades people started to really like the concept of what his glasses were and that they actually protected your eyes from the sun all around your face not just from the front.  Sports people from all over the world stated to wear his glasses for baseball, biking and many other sports.  This is how he really got his name out there.  Going into the mid to late 80’s this is what everyone used and became the leader in sunglasses not only in the United States, but many countries all over the world.  Oakley makes all of their glasses by the edge of their seats and still do it today.  

Oakley has made many glasses that have changed the industry to day and they still continue to do so.  They have contracts the US government and the police force.  Because all of Oakley are safety glasses and not only do they not distorted your vision they are the safest things to put on your face.  Oakley's number one compeditor is Maui Jim.  Just a funny story about Oakley is their headquaters is in Orange County California.  Oakley flies a skull and crossbone flag at headquaters to say that they are differnt from everyone else.  They were told by the county to take it down, because it is not something that you should fly.  They were charged $10,000 to take it down and they continue to pay $10,000 a month just so they can be differnet and still fly it!