History of Oakley Frogskins

Source: www.oakleyfrogskins.com

The original Frogskins retailed $40 USD back in the day and were released in over 50 color-ways. They were the classic sunglasses that put Oakley on the map and are truly one of the best ways to represent the 80's. Now over 20 years later, the Oakley Frogskins have been re-issued for a new generation to embrace, so if you missed out last time.. here's your chance. They are being re-released in limited numbers (3,000 for most models) through selected retailers. There's no question that the unmistakable frame and bold colors are still in demand and more popular than ever.

Oakley began in the the mid 1970’s by founder Jim Jannard as a small scale “garage” brand that focused on producing cutting-edge motocross handgrips. It was a small operation but by focusing on quality and innovation, his products soon led to goggles and eyewear, which Oakley is most known for today.

Oakley sunglasses were introduced in 1984, with several sport-specific models slowly being adopted by the key athletes of the time. Greg LeMond wore Oakley sunglasses during his performance in the 1984 Tour de France. Quite a different look from the shades Lance Armstrong wears today.

The appeal of Oakley as an innovative eyewear brand soon developed with the mainstream and caught on like wildfire. In 1985, the Oakley Frogskins were released as all-around performance sunglasses (seriously) that had a one of a kind design and cutting-edge technology that Oakley was known for with their iridium-finish lenses and Serilium™ based frames. Oakley dominated the 80's eyewear revolution and are still at the forefront of the eyewear industry today.

Although the re-released shape and colors are similar, there are some significant differences between the original Oakley Frogskins and limited edition models being sold today. The first generation Oakley Frogskins used metal hinges on their earstems, had the Oakley logos screenprinted to the side of the glasses (rather than the raised Oakley emblem), and were made in Japan. Another generation of Oakley Frogskins was released in the 90’s, which used integrated molded hinges and had raised Oakley logos on their earstems. The newer models were made in the USA. Yes!

The current re-released Oakley Frogskins use nylon based O-Matter as well as all the technical lens geometry found on modern Oakley products. Furthermore, the hinges on the re-released models are beveled rather than cylindrical in order to improve strength and flex. They actually are very lightweight and somewhat flimsy. Many people mistake authentic Oakley Frogskins as fakes due to the changes in manufacturing.

Oakley Frogskins were made available in over 50 different color-way and lens combinations, while finally being discontinued in the mid 90’s. In late 2007 they were re-introduced and have since been made available in limited numbers. Only 3000 editions per colorway are released at a time through key retailers as Collectors Edition glasses. They are also doing smaller releases as well by collaborating with companies such as SUPREME, Grenade Gloves, and Gentei.... these editions are ultra rare. Once supplies are gone, they’re gone forever. Get them while you can.