There is no doubt that Oakley sunglasses are one of the most popular glasses in the world, if not one of the most popular brands in the world per se. Wherever and whenever the new line of Oakley sunglasses is introduced, trust that the window will be flooded with onlookers who want to personally study, admire and scrutinize the franchise’s sure-fire bestseller.

But Oakley sunglasses are not only popular with people who want to protect their eyes. Oakley sunglasses are not only popular with athletes who need protective eyewear for their chosen sports.

Oakley sunglasses are also very popular in the mainstream media. Television shows, film productions, commercials and other forms of media…these have become Oakley’s domain over the last few decades.

Take, for example, the X-Men trilogy. There is a character in the movies named Cyclops, the X-Men’s field leader and second-in-command, after founder Professor Charles Xavier. Cyclops was played by James Marsden. The character was a mutant whose power was a powerful optic blast that he could not control unless his eyes were covered in ruby. Oakley created a special pair of glasses for the character, the X-metal/Ruby Iridium Penny. So popular was this product that replicas were made available to the public due to high demand. The replica, however, did not include the side shields that the film version had, mainly because no one really needs them since no one is a mutant, let alone someone who possesses uncontrollable optic blasts.

Another superhero movie that highlights Oakley sunglasses is Spider-Man 2, with Dr. Octopus wearing one of the brand’s eyepieces. Also, the Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes had the main character, a half-vampire who kills evil vampires, with a pair of Oakleys as part of his usual ensemble. The Mission: Impossible team led by Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hawk also wore Oakleys in public and at work.

Poker, a very popular “card sport” these days, requires a lot of bluffing. One’s eyes must be hidden to conceal one’s often devious intentions. Oakley itself has sponsored a popular professional player, Phil Hellmuth, who always wears his Oakley sunglasses on the road.

Motorcycle racing, another sport where eye protection is essential, is home to many athletes who wear Oakley sunglasses. It is common to see a pair of Oakleys in the Ducati MotoGP participants, for example.

Oakley sunglasses have also been prominent in military-themed video games, particularly the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon series.

The dominance of Oakleys in popular culture is a testament to how well the brand has been embraced by the world as one of the leading eyewear and eyewear products today.