I purchased my first set of Oakley Blades in 1987 from one of those sunglass kiosks in the mall. I’ve been hooked ever since (the cute redhead running the kiosk helped, too). I must have gone through a dozen sets of arms for those Blades and finally chucked them out a few years ago after I bought myself a new set of Oakley M frames with a polarized lens. (I also couldn’t find anymore arms for those Blades…)
These new M frames are absolutely outstanding! They are much more durable and robust than the old Blades and I am sold on the polarized lenses for everything except flying with a modern “glass cockpit” (if you aren’t an aviator, this probably isn’t an issue for you). I will say that the polarized lenses don’t mix well with aftermarket tinted vehicle windows either, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me. It is just a slight annoyance as it’s almost like looking through mild heat waves.
If you have not had the opportunity to look through a polarized lens, I strongly encourage you to go to a sporting goods store (preferably with a glass front) and check out the Oakley polarized glasses. When you look at a transparent surface with a bright glare reflection, such as water or glass, the polarization cuts through the glare allowing you to see through it (which is why glass cockpits don’t work – washes out the display). This can be especially critical during traffic stops, running a checkpoint, or fly-fishing on a stream.
I have been wearing these Ms for almost a year now without any issues. The view is completely clear and free of any distortion, and I love the lack of any obstructions to my field of view with the wrap-around design. When I purchased these, I also purchased a set of the Oakley Fives to have as “knock-around” shades, but I hardly wear them due to the side-obstructions created by the rim and arms. Wrap-around is the only way to go, in my opinion.
You may think the price of Oakley Ms beyond acceptable limits; however, I couldn’t beat the price. For those of you that don’t know, if you are military, federal law enforcement, SWAT, or as far as I know, even local law enforcement, you can order direct from Oakley at: https://www.usstandardissue.com/the_program.aspx. (Please check their site to see if you qualify!) You will be able to order almost any set of Oakley sunglasses, whether regular tint, polarized, or even prescription, at about half price of the store prices! The only limitation on availability that I have found so far is that you are limited to black/subdued frames. I have not compared ALL of their styles to see if they are on this site, but all of the styles I like are there. There are, however, some serious requirements emplaced by Oakley that you will have to agree to before they will sell to you. Personally, these are completely acceptable for the price. Please read and adhere to these guidelines so as not to ruin the program for everyone else!
During the last deployment, one of my NCOs had a set of M frames with the prescription inserts. He loved the shades and preferred them over his Army-issue aviator sunglasses. As far as I know, he had no problems with the Oakleys for the entire year, and we were in the sun A LOT.
It is this Oakley program (supporting those of us in harm’s way) that has kept me a loyal and die-hard Oakley fan. I will always try to support those businesses that support us, and Oakley has the best program going as far as I can find. You will find that they provide not only eyewear, but footgear, gloves and a backpack, as well. (See my review on the Oakley SI Assault gloves.)
On a side note, I was issued a set of the Oakley Ms through the Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) before my last deployment. RFI is the Army’s attempt to get good tactical gear into the hands of the Soldiers who are deploying. You will note in the picture the slight difference in the frame design with the “c” clip assisting in holding the lens into the frame (pair on the right). This was a requirement by the Army to ensure the lens remained in place in the event high-velocity shrapnel/debris hit the lens. Fortunately, I have never had to test this design feature… This eyewear came with the standard gray lens and other than the lack of polarization, had the same clear, distortion-free qualities of my personal M frames. You can order these from Oakley as well.
I can highly recommend Oakleys to anyone looking for a high-end, quality set of eyewear. If you are able to purchase through their military/government program, you can’t beat the prices. If you are forced to pay the normal prices for a set of Oakleys, they are still worth the money as I believe they have set the bar for all other eyewear makers to meet.