Oakley Sunglasses have long looked like a vision of the future. Accordingly, they are a favourite frame of the Millennial modernist.

Sports sunglasses began as truly functional gear designed to protect athletes’ eyes and enhance performance. Started out of Jim Jannard’s car in 1975, Oakley pioneered innovations in the 1980s with models such as the Oakley Eyeshade (a single shield lens) and Oakley Blades with interchangeable lenses tailored for cycling and running. These wraparound, bold designs merged form with function, improving coverage and reducing glare while also looking striking — a departure from traditional fashion sunglasses and signalling the birth of performance-driven eyewear.

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Over the decades, these designs evolved alongside materials and lens technologies. Oakley’s advanced materials like lightweight, O Matter frames and Prizm lenses improved contrast and visibility for specific sports, appealing both to serious athletes and casual outdoor enthusiasts. Other major sports brands such as Adidas and Nike offered performance eyewear aimed at runners and multisport athletes, further establishing sports sunglasses as tools for protection and visual performance rather than merely accessories that capture courtside cameras.

Sports-tech sunglasses have since crossed into mainstream style and high fashion. Driven by all trends futurist, the iconic wraparound and shield shapes that dominated performance contexts in the 1990s and 2000s now appear on runways, embraced by designers and millennial modernist influencers alike. Today’s offerings include a mix of classic performance frames — like the Oakley Radar EV Path — and modern interpretations that blur the line between sport and lifestyle, such as the Oakley EyeJacket Redux. But that major offering is the Meta Vanguard Prizm, performance sunglasses integrated with Meta’s computing and AI capabilities. From sci-fi to streetwear, the future is finally catching up.