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Oakley Brings Back Its Most Iconic (and Radical) Pair of Sunglasses, Ever

Made famous at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Oakley’s legendary design returns 25 years later.

Close-up of a pair of sunglasses with a beige frame and large round orange-tinted lenses. The frame has small circular holes around the lenses and a smooth, slightly curved design.P_Andrade

By Jack Seemer

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Oakley may never make another pair of sunglasses like the Overthetop, easily one of the brand’s most iconic designs over the last 50 years.

But they can still bring them back.

Releasing in collaboration with the Brazil-based brand P_Andrade, the Overthetop will return for only the second time since the pair debuted in 2000, coinciding with Paris Fashion Week.

Beige, futuristic-style sunglasses with a single red-tinted lens on one side and an open frame design. The frame has a smooth, sculpted appearance with small cut-out details along the top and sides.
Oakley teamed up with P_Andrade to rerelease the Overthetop sunglasses from the early 2000s.
P_Andrade

Turning heads since 2000

As the name suggests, the radical design eschews earstems, instead attaching to wearer with a hingeless fame that wraps the upper cranium.

Even non-collectors may remember the sunglasses from several films around the turn of the millennium, including Spiderman, Blade 2 and Spy Kids 3.

A male sprinter wearing a red and gray Trinidad & Tobago uniform with the number 8 on his shorts is running in a relay race, holding a baton. He is wearing distinctive red-tinted goggles with a silver frame and appears focused and muscular. Another runner is visible behind him, slightly out of focus. The background shows a blurred crowd in a stadium.
Despite several silver-screen cameos, the design will forever be tied to Ato Boldon, who wore a pair at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Getty Images/Michael Steele

However, the cameo that stands the test of time is the one with Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon, who wore a pair at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

“Every day on my social media, I see a picture of myself [wearing them],” Boldon told Vogue in 2021.

A male athlete wearing a red and gray racing suit with the number 8 on his thigh and a race bib on his back, standing with his hands on his hips. He is wearing reflective sports sunglasses and appears focused, with a dark background behind him.
Vintage examples of the Overthetop sunglasses can demand four figures on the secondary market.
Getty Images/Michael Steele

Since his decision to sport them during the 4x100m relay (after some early reservations), the Overtops have become a symbol of Oakley’s unwavering creativity … and collectibility.

Authentic pairs from the early 2000s routinely demand four figures on the secondary market.

New color, modern tech

Like Oakley’s last reissue in 2020, the collab with P_Andrade sees the designs take on a new color scheme.

Sunglasses with a unique, sculpted cream-colored frame featuring multiple small holes around the large, round, orange-tinted lenses. The frame has an organic, wavy design.
The 2025 edition will feature a new color scheme with off-white frames.
P_Andrade

Off-white frames contrast with bright red lenses, which have most likely been upgraded with Prizm technology as with other rereleased designs.

That said, the new Overthetops will due little to satisfy the overall demand among collectors.

Beige protective eyewear with round, red-tinted lenses and a double-strap design, displayed next to its matching beige box featuring a line drawing of the eyewear on the front.
Only 20 pairs will be available worldwide.
Oakley

According to P_Andrade in an Instagram post, only 20 pairs will be available worldwide. Pricing has to be confirmed.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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