Oakley sunglasses in pop culture
There is no doubt that Oakley sunglasses are one of the most popular pieces of eyewear in the world, if not one of the most popular brands in the world itself. Wherever and whenever the new Oakley sunglass line is, trust that the window will be flooded with viewers who want to study, admire and personally scrutinize the franchise’s best-seller.
But Oakley sunglasses aren’t just popular with people who want protection for their eyes. Oakley sunglasses are not only popular with athletes who need protective eyewear for their sport of choice.
Oakley sunglasses are also very popular in the media. Television shows, film productions, commercials and other forms of media … these have become the domain of Oakleys over the last few decades.
Take, for example, the X-Men trilogy. There is a character in the movies named Cyclops, field leader of the X-Men and second in command, just next to the founder, Professor Charles Xavier. Cyclops was played by James Marsden. The character was a mutant whose power was a powerful optical blast that he couldn’t control unless his eyes were covered in ruby. Oakley created special glasses for the character, the X-metal / Ruby Iridium Penny. This product was so popular that replicas were made available to the public due to high demand. The replica, however, did not include the sideblinders that the film version had, mainly because no one really needs them since no one is a mutant, even more so someone who possesses uncontrollable optical blasts.
Another superhero movie that featured Oakley sunglasses prominently is Spider-Man 2, with Dr. Octopus wearing one of the brand’s eyepieces. Also, the Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes had the main character, a half vampire who slays evil vampires, with a pair of Oakley as part of his usual ensemble. The Mission: Impossible team led by Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hawk also wore Oakleys when in public and at work.
Poker, a very popular “card sport” these days, requires a lot of bluffing. One’s eyes must be hidden to equally hide one’s often devious intentions. Oakley herself has sponsored a popular professional gamer, Phil Hellmuth, who always wears his Oakley sunglasses on tour.
Motorcycle racing, another sport in which eye protection is essential, is home to many athletes who wear Oakley sunglasses. It is common to see a couple of Oakleys in the Ducati MotoGP participants, for example.
Oakley sunglasses have also featured prominently in military-themed video games, particularly in the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon series.
The prevalence of Oakleys in popular culture is a testament to how well the brand has been embraced by the world as one of the leading eye protection and eyewear products today.
