Something About Oakley’s Insane Over-The-Head Glasses Is Different
It’s been 25 years since Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon debuted Oakley’s Overthetop sunglasses at the Sydney Olympics, a moment cemented into style history (Boldon recently said he doesn’t go a day without seeing pictures of him wearing the glasses on social media).
And over two decades on, the sunglasses remain every bit as wild. Held side to side, they make the majority of today’s sunglasses look prehistoric.
That mask-like, over-the-head construction is like something from a sci-fi movie (so, no surprise it’s been featured in movies like Blade 2 or Spy Kids 3) and has been picked up by notoriously eccentric dressers, like Dennis Rodman, André 3000, and more recently, Offset.
This level of notoriety, combined with its limited release numbers, means a pair of Overthetops has always been difficult to find. Vintage pairs sell for four-figure prices and they were most recently rereleased in 2020 (again, in highly limited numbers).
This is where Brazilian label Piet steps in.
Images have emerged of a limited-edition Piet x Oakley collaboration. The two brands, who have collaborated previously, are seemingly relaunching these storied glasses on their 25th anniversary.
Piet has made some small alterations to the unconventional glasses. Gone is the silver frame, replaced by beige and complimented with pink-tinged lenses.
Reportedly launching later this year, the Overthetop is part of a wider collection including Oakley’s Eye Jacket shades in the same color combination.
Of course, it's all unconfirmed as of right now. But with this being the Overthetop's 25th anniversary — and considering they also re-released the glasses for the 20th anniversary — it looks like a rare, techy fashion grail is returning.
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