Oakley sunglasses are going to be seemingly everywhere this summer.
The Foothill Ranch-based sunglasses maker outfitted actor Tom Cruise with a pair of its X Metal Romeo eyeglasses in Paramount Pictures’ “Mission: Impossible II,” and the firm’s shades are headed for the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Cruise wears the X Metal Romeo shades in the opening scene where he learns about his mission and later in the movie he sports a pair of Fives.
Additionally, Scott Bowers, vice president, sports marketing, is gearing up to send 25 Oakley employees to the Olympics.
Oakley has signed up about 350 athletes to sport Oakley eyewear in the games in outdoor sports such as track and field, triathlon, road cycling, beach volleyball and kayaking.
“We haven’t entered the Olympics with our footwear in competition or apparel,” Bowers said. “There won’t be any athletes wearing the footwear because we have nothing that specifically functions for the kinds of sports involved in the Olympics. Our footwear products are performance-oriented, but not categorized in one area. That’s potentially something for the future though.”
Depending on how high-profile their events are, Oakley will present winning athletes with bonuses of $2,500 to $10,000, Bowers said.
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