OAKLEY OVER THE TOP: THE MOST ICONIC SUNGLASSES OAKLEY EVER MADE
THE OAKLEY OVER THE TOP EXPLORED
You’ve probably seen the matrix-esque OTT eyewear when perusing through your Instagram or TikTok feed. The most recognisable pair of Oakley Over The Tops would be the silver chrome FMJ (Full Metal Jacket, Oakley’s chrome plating technology) Fire Iridium Oakley OTT: Worn during the Sydney Olympics by Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon in 2000.
Boldon’s mid-sprint portrait –his face clad in science-fiction armour-like Oakley OTTs– can be hard to avoid, especially in the archive scene. “It has been 21 years and every day on my social media I see a picture of myself [wearing them],” he told British Vogue in 2021.
WHAT DOES OAKLEY OVER THE TOP MEAN?
As the name suggests, the Oakley Over The Top is secured to the wearer over the top of their head, rather than the conventional over-ear method. Aside from the aesthetic value– with shock factor marketing tactics in mind– the over-the-top construction was designed by Peter Yee to better absorb shock resulting from sprinting, leading to less bounce, and therefore a greater comfort experienced by the wearer.
The OTT was preceded by Peter Yee’s iconic Time Bomb watch and Face Jacket sunglasses, the designs of which clearly influenced the Over The Top look.
WHO WEARS OAKLEY OVER THE TOP?
New York Native Flavor Flav– rapper, hypeman and founding member of Public Enemy–wore Oakley Over The Tops onstage when performing in Switzerland in 2003.
The Oakley over the top has made a feature in 2002’s Blade 2 and the Spiderman film of the same year. In the 2003 film Spy Kids 3, the character Arnold wears the Over The Top.
Swedish pro Golfer Jarmo Sandelin and the fore-mentioned Trinidadian Sprinter Ato Boldon have worn the Oakley Over The Top when competing.
Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the eyewear brand re-released the Oakley Over The Top in gold and bronze FMJ colourways. The style has divided opinions, and it definitely takes some gusto to pull them off, but you cannot deny that they ooze cool.
WHERE TO BUY THE OAKLEY OVER THE TOPS?
The original OTTs can be hard to find and normally sell for around $1500-$3000 dollars. The newer iteration still demand a hefty price tag and can be found for around $1000. To get your hands on an authentic pair, we would recommend reaching out to 300700 store.
What was the Over the Tops RRP? The Over The Tops originally retailed for $180 dollars back in 2000. More information about the different models can be found using the o-review resource.