Having the right sunglasses can be important. You don't want to ruin your eyeballs, but you also don't want to look like an idiot to protect them. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between permanent eye damage and looking like a dork. You can have great sunglasses -- but you're going to pay for them. If you're a fan of Oakley (and who isn't?), finding stylish sunglasses usually isn't a problem. But paying for them without taking out a second mortgage on your house? That could be a different story. While most Oakleys are in the range of $60 to $250, some can cost as much as $4,000 or more!
Oakley is Still a Popular, Iconic Brand
Why are people paying so much for these sunglasses? Because they want the brand, the prestige, and look, and the love that comes along with owning something so amazing. Except most people probably won't notice. It's not like they're covered with jewels or diamonds. They aren't even gold plated! So how are people supposed to know how much you paid for them? They are created from carbon fiber, and they have a titanium spine. Neither of those things are cheap, but they don't need to cost, thousands, either. Oakley sells because:
- people recognize the brand
- people know other people recognize the brand
- the quality really is there, within reason
- there are lots of colors and styles
- the company keeps up with cool trends
- it's easy to buy them at lots of places, including online
Getting Oakleys to feel cool and popular isn't hard -- unless you want the most expensive, $4,000 Elite C Six model, of course! That model came out in 2010, and it's still available. Oakley doesn't say how many have been sold. There may be a reason for that, but they still make the sunglasses. Someone's buying them.
Why Do Oakley Sunglasses Cost So Much?
The reason Oakley sunglasses really cost so much is because Oakley has determined that the public will pay that much for their products. If people wouldn't buy Oakleys at that price, the price would come down.
It's typical supply and demand. Standard economics. But are these Oakleys "worth it"?
Someone, somewhere wants $4,000 sunglasses with the Oakley brand logo on them. Or those glasses wouldn't exist. Race car drivers, sail enthusiasts, exotic car owners, etc. These are the types of people buying the Elite C Six model, according to Oakley.
Should You Buy These Sunglasses, In Spite of the Price?
Since there were only 250 pair of these sunglasses made, you might not be able to just go to Oakley and get a pair. You can get a pair with an aluminum frame that costs only (only!) $1,500. While even that could seem excessive, it's a far cry from $4,000. Still, it's a lot to pay for sunglasses. Unless you have a realistic reason for this level of eye protection -- and a healthy bank account -- you'll probably do just fine with a much more standard pair of Oakley sunglasses for a couple hundred dollars. Or even something off the shelf at Walmart. Unless, of course, you're an exotic car owner, sailing enthusiast, or race car driver. That's different, after all.