Oakley Water Jacket Black/G30 Persimmon

In 1984, Oakley made their move into the eyewear market which they went on to completely revolutionise with unique ground-breaking designs. The ‘Jacket’ family of sunglasses by Oakley, starting with the ‘Eye Jacket’ in 1994, aimed to produce frames that fit the face like clothing fits the body. The popularity of this range propelled the brand forward through the 1990s and cemented their position as a market leader of innovation.

The Oakley Racing Jacket sunglasses first released in 1998 and were designed with the intention of sports application in mind. They quickly gained popularity amongst sport personalities such as football legend Edgar Davids, who required eye protection during matches after his glaucoma surgery in 1999, and cycling legend George Hincapie, who was known for customising his frames before races. They were also sported by Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, Dennis Rodman and even Robin Williams during a charity cycling event in 2001. The Pro Edition was released shortly after with slight changes that made them even more suited to extreme sport, such as the vented lenses to match the vented frame and larger unobtainium nosepads for far better grip. Peter Yee ( @peteryeedesign ), the man behind the design of Oakley’s most famous products, offered a brilliant insight into the design process of this pair: “it’s a unibody construction, there’s no separate stems and center frame, so it’s a solid piece of equipment. It has a large lens build to offer the athlete a great deal of protection and coverage. The frame has been ventilated to prevent fogging and let air flow through so you don’t overheat and steam up the lenses”.

The Racing Jacket has an important legacy in sports history, making it one of the most iconic frames produced by Oakley. The aggressive overall appearance and design has proven to be timeless, with many brands attempting to replicate this shape and style in recent seasons.