Tech and Gear
A few months ago, I decided to refurbish my quite old Oakley Fives Squared. I polished the metallic Os and the lenses. But the lenses still left a lot to be desired so I ordered replacement lenses from Visionary Lenses via Amazon. The first package got lost in transit. I got in touch with VL and they immediately sent a new package which finally did arrive. Well actually I had to go to the post office and pick it up. The lenses were just as described and fit perfectly.
The Oakley Unknown is one high-speed, low-drag (HSLD) piece of gear. It is has a sleek wraparound frame design that provides a wide field of vision. The frame is made of plastic (“O MATTER” in Oakley marketing parlance) which makes it very light so it doesn’t get burdensome while worn. Rubber (“Unobtainium”) earsocks keep a good grip and keep everything in place during rough activity.
The polycarbonate lenses (“Plutonite”) are very effective at blocking the sun but are extremely clear (“High-Definition Optics”) sometimes I think they’re not even there. The lenses supposedly exceeds ANSI Z87.1 Industrial Standards for impact protection. This means it can withstand a shotgun pellet from 30 ft but personally, I don’t want to find out if this works.
But what I like best is that it’s got that famous Oakley “mad science” look without being overly loud like some of their other designs.
Rating: 5/5