We review the Oakley Monster Pup Sunglasses and why they’re the perfect frame for small heads!
Table of Contents
Background and History
The Monster Pup design was, not surprisingly, an offshoot of the oversized Monster Dog frame from 2003. That design was intended to fit and flatter larger faces.
In 2006, the Monster Pup was introduced with a sleeker look and fit for smaller faces. In the year that introduced us to Facebook and saw the rise of skinny jeans, Oakley determined that the bold look of the Monster Dog should be available for everyone.
The Monster Pup, categorized as a Lifestyle frame, retained the sporty, stylized look of the Monster Dog. It’s a style that appealed to both of Oakley’s main audiences—those looking for sunglasses for daily wear and those who preferred performance sport sunglasses.
The Monster Pup is a discontinued frame but remains popular with Oakley fans.
Oakley Monster Pup Sunglasses Review
Frame, Size and Design
The Monster Pup is a full-frame, sturdy-looking wrap style that is slightly less pronounced than the Monster Dog. The frame is made with Oakley O Matter material, making it very light and comfortable despite its substantial appearance. This is similar to other Oakley frames like Pit Bull and mp3 enabled Thump.
The ear stems are the same as the Monster Dog, wide toward the front with a metal Oakley icon and tapering back toward the ear. However, the most noticeable difference between the Monster Dog and Monster Pup is the squared-off frame design around the lenses on the Pup. This combined with additional curves and edges gives the Monster Pup a bit more aggressive styling than the Dog.
Lenses
Monster Pup lenses feature Oakley’s Plutonite lenses that offer impact-resistant and UVA, UVB, and UVC protective. You’ll find lenses available in Iridium and Polarized options but unfortunately won’t find Prizm lenses. As much as we’d dream of it, unfortunately, the Pup was discontinued before Prizm lenses became widespread. Overall, the lenses are smaller than the Monster Dog lens, which makes sense for a frame designed for smaller faces.
Because this is a discontinued frame, Oakley no longer offers replacement parts or lenses for the Monster Pup. Check out our guide on replacement lenses for our review of the aftermarket options out there today.
Original Colorways
The Monster Pup was released in 14 colorways including several special editions such as the Tony Stewart Nascar and Ford F-150 Raptor variations. We’ve included the full listing below plus several pictures:
Colorway (Frame / Lens) | Original Price |
---|---|
Brown Smoke / Tungsten Iridium Polarized | $160 |
Brown Sugar / Dark Bronze | $90 |
Grey Smoke / Black Iridium | $100 |
Grey Smoke / Grey | $60 |
MPH Rust / Black Iridium | $100 |
Matte Black / Grey | $90 |
Matte Black / Grey | $90 |
Matte Black / Grey Polarized | $160 |
Olive Tortoise / Dark Grey | $90 |
Polished Black / Black Iridium | $100 |
Ford F-150 Rapto Special Edition Polished Black / Black Iridium | $140 |
Polished Black / Black Iridium Polarized | $160 |
Polished Rootbeer / Bronze | $90 |
Rust Text - VR28 Black Iridium | $100 |
Tony Stewart Special Edition Polished Black / Black Iridium | $140 |
Where to Buy Monster Pup Sunglasses
Since being discontinued, you can’t buy new Monster Pups anymore, but there are plenty of them floating around on resale sites. The top sites are typically our Oakley Forum Exchange areas here and eBay. Though the selection on sites like eBay can very limited and it’s important to be on the lookout for fakes. Check out our complete guide to spotting fake Oakleys before you start shopping!
Final Thoughts
The Monster Pup is a great option for anyone looking for a slightly scaled back smaller version of the Monster Dog. They fit small to medium-sized faces and the lightweight frame makes it a pair you can wear all day. Overall the Pup brings us back to a simpler day of full-framed glasses compared to the futuristic styling like the Kato and Encoder we see today!