Oakley, Inc. is an American company headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, which is an autonomous subsidiary of Luxottica.
[9] In early 1996, Oakley had a pricing dispute with Italian company Luxottica, the world's largest eyewear manufacturers and retailers.
[12] Oakley signed a four-year agreement to manufacture eyewear designed by themselves and Fox Racing in September 2004.
[14] In 2006, Oakley acquired the Oliver Peoples group, a manufacturer of high-end fashion branded eyewear (under the Oliver Peoples, Mosley Tribes, and Paul Smith brands) for $55.7m,[3] and Optical Shop of Aspen, a luxury eyewear retailer with fourteen stores.
[2] On June 21, 2007, Luxottica announced a plan to purchase Oakley in a cash deal worth $2.1 billion, paying a 16% premium over the extant share price.
[16] The deal was completed on November 15, 2007, making Oakley part of a portfolio that includes brands such as Ray-Ban, Persol, and Vogue.
During the preparations for the ultimately successful rescue of thirty-three miners trapped for ten weeks in a Chilean mine in October 2010, a journalist covering the story contacted Oakley about donating sunglasses to the rescue effort, aware that the miners would need eye protection after having spent weeks in darkness.
[29] Oakley M Frame sunglasses are included as part of the U.S. Army's Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL), and have been assigned a National Stock Number (NSN) for ordering through military supply channels.