Oakley Glasses from the Past-0
Katy loved her old Oakley glasses. But she doesn’t know which ones they were and wants us to do some detective work on her behalf, we think we can remember that long ago, but none of us are getting any younger, etc.
Question: You wrote an article about old Oakley glasses vs. new ones. I’m trying to locate some old ones like I used to have with soft ear hooks, soft frame, replaceable foam sweat band on the top but I don’t even know the name of that pair of glasses.
I know they said “Oakley” in white letters across the front. Can you pass this on to the author to see if he has any ideas since he said he’d worn Oakley’s for 20 years and mine wear purchased in the mid 80’s? So far the Oakley company won’t help me. Those were the most comfortable glasses ever, especially because of the soft hook like ear pieces.
Answer:
Hi Katy,
A lady should never give her age away! So you’re quite brave to say you had some Oakley’s in the ’80s, you must have been wearing them in your baby carriage when your mom was pushing you around the park?
We think (I think because I’m the only one old enough on the staff!) you must mean the Oakley’s that Greg Lemond wore when he won the Tour de France. The ones that made Phil Anderson famous, since he was the first rider to wear them on the bike and bring Oakley into personal rider sponsorship, which was new to cycle sport.
I’m fairly sure, and I’ve asked a few “old” friends about them, and we think they were called Oakley Factory Pilots, they were based on the O frame, but in light plastic and had replaceable lenses. This happened in 1984 and Oakley have not looked back since.
I think Katy you can forget trying to buy any of them, I’ve checked everywhere, all the usual places for selling old stuff or even web-sites that show old cycling equipment and there was nothing to be found. So you will have to try something else, a lot of glasses also have earpieces that you can bend but not soft.
Sorry I can’t be of more help, good luck with finding an alternative.
