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Worked as a manager at an Oakley store for four years between 2007-2011. Ask me anything!

Fortunately, I left right as Luxottica took over. So I worked there for 4 years prior to the acquisition.

I didn’t keep up too much with Oakley when I left as I had just graduated college and started my career in accounting. But when I revisited a store maybe 4-5 years after I left (so around 2016ish) I was blown away by how much everything changed. Felt like a completely different company. They really ruined so many of the things that made Oakley special and I’m not afraid to say it. Any true Oakley OG’s know exactly what I’m talking about. I could write a book about it but ain’t nobody got time for that!
Yeah that doesn't surprise me at all. That's interesting though, they did sell the company in 2007 so I guess it took a while before the changes happened.
 
So you got to work with a lot of xmetals in your store eh? I was fortunate enough to still be able to buy them back when they were available in store.
Yes! I started right after we began rolling them out. Some of the most exciting times. We’d all go nuts when we’d get a new shipment in with new color combos, models or variations.

You bought them during the good ol’ days man. Oakley was really peaking with their tech, quality and creativity back then.
 
The saddest part about this is that it is the norm in every industry now.

Conglomerates and bean counters take over, maximize profit and short term gains, totally ruin the heart of the company in the process, and then leave it to die as a shell of it's former self.

Having said all that, I don't think Oakley is a total loss, at least not yet. I really like the Mainlinks and Plazmas, and they still have some wild **** that no one else does (which is their thing) like the Katos and Encoders etc.

Rose colored prizm glasses and what-not.

Yeah it's sad. So many good companies and products ruined by greedy corporations. Our antitrust laws are way too lenient as well. We're not supposed to have monopolies, yet we have many. At least Oakley still manufactures in the USA.
 
Yeah it's sad. So many good companies and products ruined by greedy corporations. Our antitrust laws are way too lenient as well. We're not supposed to have monopolies, yet we have many. At least Oakley still manufactures in the USA.

Ya about that…. There’s a lot of ones that are being produced elsewhere, and soon more than half will be produced elsewhere too. Brazil, China and other places other than the US
 
Ya about that…. There’s a lot of ones that are being produced elsewhere, and soon more than half will be produced elsewhere too. Brazil, China and other places other than the US
I know it’s not all of their models. But I was under the impression that they were actually bringing back more production to the USA. Is that not the case? There seems to be more USA Made models coming out these days. And I thought all lenses have always been made in USA.
 
I was considered the “technical expert” when it came to all eyewear. Oakley really shifted as a company after Luxottica bought them but I was there before the change, which was when Oakley was really pure.

Happy to answer any questions if anyone has any!

Pic of me (top right) and the team over 10 yrs ago!

View attachment 885479
Hi. Can you tell me what model of Oakley these are? They were a gift many years ago and have a serial number on one of the arms with a J at the start.

81504FA7-83DB-4D14-A01D-B0F59A6D4191.png
 
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