How the brainchild of Michael Jordan, the Oakley Mars Sunglasses, went on to become a cult classic and one of the rarest sunglasses of all time!
Now let’s find out how this happened!
Table of Contents
Mars History & The Michael Jordan Connection
When people talk about Oakley’s most disruptive designs, there are usually two that always come to mind – the Over The Top and the Mars. But most people don’t know the real history that made Oakley Mars into one of the most collectible Oakley sunglasses of all time.
Originally envisioned by then Oakley board member Michael Jordan (yes the basketball player), he wanted a design that turned heads.
And in March 1998, Michael got his wish when the Oakley Mars sunglasses were released to the public.
To produce the Mars it took a six-ton generator with 425,000 watts of power to push the five-axis machining that maintained a .0005″ precision as it created the X-Metal frame. This complex process and radical design led to the frame only being produced for a few short years.
Still, in that time, the Mars made a splash.
Mars in Movies
Thanks to its out-of-this-world design, the Mars became a favorite in Hollywood movies.
In 1999, they were featured on the face of Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt) in the movie Fight Club. Then, shortly after they appeared in 2002’s Blade ii on the face of a vampire towards the end of the film.
Both films were a perfect fit for this disruptive design produced in the USA that embodied Oakley and fought the establishment.
Production Stop and Cult Classic
In 2004, after only 6 years, the Oakley Mars was discontinued by the brand. For many, this marked the end of one of the greatest Oakley designs.
But the legacy still lived on.
Over the years, the limited number of Mars produced, combined with existing pairs deteriorating, has only fueled demand for this cult classic.
Now let’s talk about the frame itself. Plus where you can still find Oakley Mars for sale.
Oakley Mars Sunglasses Overview
Frame and Design
The Mars frame features a mechanical steam punk-esq design starting at $275 originally. And it’s not hard to see where the Mars name came from.
Made of X-Metal with Unobtainium nose pieces and earstems, its designed as a unisex frame. From temple to temple the Mars measures approximately 5.6″, giving them a medium size.
And thanks to the low numbers produced, each authentic Oakley Mars is stamped with a unique serial number. You can easily find the serial number on both the box and the inside of the left earstems.
Leather Mars
If you’re talking Mars, you’ll likely hear about the leather colorway. Yes, we’re talking about that type of leather.
Real leather formed tightly to the frame was offered with an eye-popping gold iridium lens for $315. But, over time, wearers found the leather didn’t stand up to the elements as well as hoped.
Sweat, water and wear and tear led to cracking and damaged leather. This combined with the already low production numbers has led to a very small amount of Mars remaining today.
Overall, we love leather Mars and are jealous of anyone with one in their collection!
Crater Mars
Aside from a leather-wrapped model, Oakley also offered the Crater Mars. What separated this Mars from other models was the “colorways” weren’t colors at all.
Instead, they were in fact variations – changes to the frame itself and design.
The Mars X-Metal Crater frame includes small holes or “craters” on the sides of the lenses (pictured below). This variation has made the Mars Crater sunglasses rarer and more sought after than the standard X-Metal frame. But its still less rare than the leather model.
Lenses
Oakley Mars lenses are circular and highlight the out-of-this-world design of the Mars.
And while Oakley does not officially sell replacement lenses for the Mars, it is possible to find them online through aftermarket retailers or DIY’ers.
Plus all pairs originally contained Iridium lenses, but none of the models shipped with Polarized lenses.
We’ve included the original colorways below for reference:
Original Colorways
- X-Metal Leather / Black Iridium (with red ear socks
- X-Metal Leather / Gold Iridium
- X-Metal Crater / Black Iridium (+ variation with red ear socks)
- X-Metal / Black Iridium
- X-Metal / Emerald Iridium
- X-Metal / Ruby Iridium
Where to Buy Oakley Mars Sunglasses?
Now that you know how rare the Oakley Mars are it should be no surprise that if you want to buy one it will cost you.
While the original retailed for ~$300, its not uncommon to see pairs sell for 3 times that amount. The rarer pairs such as the leather and crater variations are usually the most expensive. But the standard X-Metal pairs still garner a hefty sum so be ready!
If you’re buying a pair of Mars, you’ll want to look at aftermarket exchanges such as eBay or the Oakley Forum X-Metal Exchange area.
Regardless of where you buy, be sure to do your research and know how to spot fakes!
Final Thoughts
Oakley Mars are forever a historic pair and we don’t see that changing anytime soon. If you can get your hands on one – go for it!
They embody everything Jim Jannard loved when he ran Oakley – disruptive design, thinking differently, going against the grain. And our only wish for Oakley? Re-release the Mars, or even better a Mars 2 sunglasses? Please? Though maybe they already have some of that with the Clifden!
Want More?
Do you own a pair of Mars? Or trying to get one? Do you wear them or store them? Let us know in the comments below!
