1998 Oakley ‘Racing Jacket’ Gen 1 Perforated FMJ Silver Iridium

Oakley was originally founded in 1975 out of James Jannard’s garage on a mere budget of $300. Named after his dog, Oakley Anne, Jannard would begin his culture-shifting design journey by selling moto-cross grips out of his trunk, due to an innovative rubberized textile that’s still used today on namesake glasses. Garnering mass notoriety in the sports world, he’d soon pivot into googles and eyewear in the 80s, taking a chance by purchasing a 3D printer to not only streamline manufacturing, but develop a sci-fi aesthetic. With industry leaders like Michael Jordan and Denis Rodman adapting Oakley eyewear, the sport-centric label would become increasingly lucrative, until the peak of extreme sports in the late 90s. However, this shift in cultural interests didn’t seem to phase Jannard’s team, as they entered their famed ‘mad scientist’ era. Dawning silhouettes like the OVERTHETOP sunglasses at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics and our beloved Medusa’s in 2002, Oakley hype would travel south as it surged in Brazil’s Baile funk scene. Only further innovating with silhouettes like the Juliet sunglasses, among wristwear and clothing, Oakley would solidify itself as a symbol of forward thinking within the design community.

Debuting in 1998, this pair of sunglasses is coined as the so-called’ Racing Jacket’ silhouette. Equipped with a solid state frame and trademarked Unobtanium nosepiece, Oakley reinvents the traditional eyewear silhouette, moulding each lens with a series of perforation to prevent fogging. As the first of its kind, earsocks keep the optics securely attached to the wearer’s face. In pristine condition throughout.