Sunglasses are always an interesting topic. Most people own a pair, yet everyone has their own opinion of what's good and what's not, and the approach to buying them. Some people always go with the 5$ WalMart specials, some people buy REALLY expensive Cardier or Gucci. I have a friend who always told me I should invest in a good pair of Oakleys. The problem is, the ones I wanted were 200 bucks. I could buy 40 pairs of 5$ WalMart specials for that amount of money! At the time, I was riding my motorcycle a lot, and the cheap ones did not work well in that rugged environment, and I would break a pair almost every time I rode.

Anyway, long story short, I ended up buying a couple of pairs of fake Okaleys to make sure the style I picked would work. They, of course, broke during my first ride with them. I really liked the style, so I bit the bullet and bought the real deal.

The genuine Oakleys were by far the best sunglasses I have ever owned. They fit like a glove, and were very durable. I abused the crap out of them, and they always came through without incident. Eventually, I wore them out by leaving them in my truck during the scorching Texas summer for a few years. They did not respond to well to that. In Texas, in the summer, inside a car, the temperature can easily get up above 150 degrees. The frame and the lenses are still fine, but the coating they put on the exterior of the frame to make them fancy, pretty much seemed to melt down some, and began to flake up and off. Also, the "Iridium" coating on the lenses themselves began to flake off, even though the lenses were not scratched.

What is the point of all this? None really. I am about to invest in another pair. They are 170 + shipping at the Oakley store. They are completely customized, so its not like you can just grab some off the shelf. I keep a close eye on eBay to see if anyone is ever selling a a pair that I like. I found a guy who just happen to have a pair that are exactly like the ones I customized on Oakleys web page. I wheeled and dealed with him a little bit and talked him into 130 bucks (including shipping).

Oakleys are well worth the money. If you have the means, I recommend picking up a pair, they are so choice. This time I will not leave them to bake in my truck.