An eyeshield , also referred to as a visor , is a piece of gridiron football equipment that was invented in the 1980s. In the mid 1990s, as an effort to prevent brain and head injuries, headgear became mandatory in the game of football. The eyeshield was created to protect the eyes of football players during games and practices. It is a curved piece of plastic that attaches to the front of a football helmet. Safety equipment such as the facemask, eyeshields, and other face shields have been adopted over time to prevent player injury. The eyeshield leaves the mouth exposed, but covers the eyes and nose. The piece of equipment is made from various materials and by many different brands. Only clear eyeshields are permitted for use in high school football games because eyes need to be seen while checking for a concussion . For college-level players, the eyeshield may be tinted for players with eye problems.
39-498: The first football visors were made by Oakley . Eyeshields can be made out of plutonite, which is a synthetic material that contributes to its great durability compared to other eyeshields made out of polycarbonate . The eye wear can also be injection-molded, which gives curvature and allows the lenses to reflect glare and enable the players to have increased visibility in most weather conditions. But most eyeshields are made out of polycarbonate. All visors are made curved in order to cover
78-515: A billion pairs of lenses and frames every year, and have a workforce of more than 140,000 people." On 1 October 2018 the new holding company EssilorLuxottica was founded, resulting in combined market capitalization of approximately €46.3 billion as of the date of the merger announcement. Luxottica's two main product offerings are sunglasses and prescription frames. The company operates in two sectors: manufacturing & wholesale distribution, and retail distribution. The house brands include
117-544: A dozen ) such as Ray-Ban and Oakley but also retailers such as Sunglass Hut , Lenscrafters and Oliver Peoples , the optical departments at Target , and (formerly) Sears , as well as key eye insurance groups including the second largest glasses insurance firm in the US, EyeMed. It has been accused of operating a complete monopoly on the optical industry and overcharging for its products; for example, temporarily dropping then-competitor Oakley from its frame design list, then, when
156-531: A four-year agreement to manufacture eyewear designed by themselves and Fox Racing in September 2004. Starting in 2004, Jannard bought large quantities of Oakley stock: $ 2 million in 2004, $ 16 million in 2005, and $ 4.6 million in early 2006, bringing his personal stake in the company to 63%. In 2006, Oakley acquired the Oliver Peoples group, a manufacturer of high-end fashion branded eyewear (under
195-538: A limited partnership with Del Vecchio as one of the founding partners. In 1967, he started selling complete eyeglass frames under the Luxottica brand, which proved successful enough that by 1971 he ended the contract manufacturing business. Convinced of the need for vertical integration , he acquired Scarrone in 1974, a distribution company. In 1981, the company set up its first international subsidiary, in Germany,
234-611: A managed vision care organization in the United States. As of 2014, it is the second-largest vision benefits company in the United States. Luxottica is affiliated with the charitable organization OneSight, formed in 1988. In August 2018, Luxottica restored Accademia Bridge in Venice . In March 2022, EssilorLuxottica announced the launch of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to unify
273-451: A variety of shades: amber, blue, metallic silver and golds, black, polarized and even rainbow. Only clear eyeshields are permitted in high school football because eyes are needed to be seen while checking for a concussion. For college level players, the eyeshield may be tinted for players with eye problems. The NFL allows dark visors to be worn and reflective mirrors but does not allow colored or iridium visors. Tinted visors were banned from
312-517: A variety of techniques, including compelling retailers to drop suppliers and making imitations of competitor's products. It also funds university chairs of opthamology and is influential in professional associations. The HBO series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has criticized the company as a prominent instance of corporate consolidation, as has the TruTV series Adam Ruins Everything . In 2019, LensCrafters founder E. Dean Butler spoke to
351-523: The Los Angeles Times , admitting that Luxottica's dominance of the eyewear industry had resulted in price markups of nearly 1,000%. In the interview, Butler noted "You can get amazingly good frames, with a Warby Parker level of quality, for $ 4 to $ 8. For $ 15, you can get designer-quality frames, like what you'd get from Prada." When told that some eyeglasses cost as much as $ 800 in the United States, Butler remarked, "I know. It's ridiculous. It's
390-556: The COVID-19 pandemic , Oakley released the MSK3 mask, which featured an innovative design to prevent eyewear fogging. Luxottica Luxottica Group S.p.A. is an Italian eyewear multinational corporation headquartered in Milan . As a vertically integrated company, Luxottica designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails its eyewear brands through its own subsidiaries. It is
429-658: The United Kingdom , and United Arab Emirates . The headquarters of the retail division is in Mason, Ohio , United States ( North America ). Their retail banners include the following: Luxottica is the largest optical retailer in the United States, with 7.3% of US retail sales in 2015. With its merger with Essilor in 2018 the company owns Coastal/Clearly, an online contacts and glasses retail giant bought in 2014 that ships to over 200 countries beside its original North American market. Luxottica also owns EyeMed Vision Care,
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#1732776818854468-463: The University of Alabama at Birmingham worked together with BlazerAthletics to not only create visors to help vision- challenged football players, but also adjusted the rule book to allow players with eye problems to be able to wear the eyeshields during games. The special visors will assist football players that have medical-related light sensitivity to be able to play the game. Taylon Lewis, 11 at
507-610: The NFL for 20 years until 2019 when they became legal again. The durability of eyeshields were tested when eye specialists at Ohio State University used an air cannon to hurl baseballs at the visors. The impact was designed to mimic a force similar to being kicked in the face, a common occurrence during football play. The tested shields successfully maintained their structural integrity after being hit with baseballs that were propelled at velocities of up to 218 ft per second (150 miles per hour). In 2019, optometrists and ophthalmologists at
546-666: The Oakley Frogskin, a casual sunglass style that was made in Japan. The company went public in 1995, raising $ 230 million. In early 1996, Oakley had a pricing dispute with Italian company Luxottica , the world's largest eyewear manufacturers and retailers. Luxottica stopped carrying Oakley's products in their stores, including Sunglass Hut, and Oakley's stock market value declined 33%. In 2001, Oakley bought Iacon, Inc., operator of mall-based sunglasses stores Sunglass Designs, Sporting Eyes, and Occhiali da Sole. Oakley signed
585-472: The Oliver Peoples, Mosley Tribes, and Paul Smith brands) for $ 55.7m, and Optical Shop of Aspen, a luxury eyewear retailer with fourteen stores. Later in 2006, Oakley acquired Eye Safety Systems, Inc. (ESS), another major manufacturer of tactical eye protection, for US$ 110m. On June 21, 2007, Luxottica announced a plan to purchase Oakley in a cash deal worth $ 2.1 billion, paying a 16% premium over
624-415: The U.S. Army's Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL), and have been assigned a National Stock Number (NSN) for ordering through military supply channels. The company has also built at least one 'golf hovercraft ', demonstrated as an all terrain replacement for conventional golf carts . This hovercraft was created for marketing purposes, in partnership with the professional golfer, Bubba Watson . During
663-516: The US Olympic Team in 2012, and that same year, extended the partnership through 2020. In August 2013, Oakley sold its REVO brand to Sequential Brands for $ 20m. In November 2013, Oakley signed a multi-year deal with Scuderia Ferrari . In September 2015, Oakley shut down the website of its outlet arm Oakley Vault, while continuing its brick and mortar retail presence of
702-473: The brand. In March 2021, Aston Martin F1 Team announced a partnership with Oakley. Most of Oakley's technological designs, fashion pieces, gear, etc. were developed with extensive athlete input and testing in the field – including extreme conditions. Oakley also maintains US Standard Issue, which provides U.S. military and law enforcement eye protection. Oakley M Frame sunglasses are included as part of
741-546: The combined company, as well as co-lead the company with then-Essilor CEO Hubert Sagnières . The combined entity would command more than one quarter of global value sales of eyewear. In March 2018, the European Commission unconditionally approved the merger of Essilor and Luxottica. On 1 October 2018, the new holding company EssilorLuxottica was born, resulting in combined market capitalization of approximately $ 70 billion. Leonardo Del Vecchio started
780-576: The company in 1961, in Agordo north of Belluno , Veneto ; today the company is headquartered in Milan , Italy. Del Vecchio began his career as the apprentice to a tool and diemaker in Milan, but he decided to turn his metalworking skills to making spectacle parts. In 1961, he moved to Agordo in the province of Belluno , home to most of the Italian eyewear industry. The new company was Luxottica s.a.s.,
819-420: The company stock crashed, purchasing the company, then increasing the prices of its Ray-Ban sunglasses. In addition, it has been argued that, by owning the vision insurance company EyeMed, it also controls part of the buyers' market as well. The company has said that the market is highly competitive, and that their frames account for ≈10% of sales worldwide and ≈20% in the United States. In 2017, their share of
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#1732776818854858-413: The company. In August 2011, Luxottica acquired Erroca for €20 million. In March 2014, it was announced that Luxottica would partner with Google on the development of Google Glass and its integration into Luxottica's eyewear. On 1 September 2014, a new organizational structure was announced, composed of two co-CEOs, one focusing on market development and the other overseeing corporate functions. After
897-683: The entire eye area, shielding it from injury and light. Other well-known brands of eyeshields include Nike , Under Armour . To provide a clear view, most eyeshields are wrapped. Another way of providing a clear view to players is using APVX material, which also makes the lens less likely to crack. A shock dampening attachment reduces damage to the eyewear, making it strong and able to withstand hard impact. Most eyeshields are created universal so they can fit almost all helmets and do not require special tools to install. Most tinted visors come in 20,45, and 60 percent.[6] Polarized tints block different UVA, UVC, and UVB rays and harmful blue lights. Eyeshields come in
936-419: The exit of former CEO Andrea Guerra , Enrico Cavatorta was appointed CEO of Corporate Function and Interim CEO of Market (until new and permanent appointment to this role). Cavatorta left the company 40 days after being appointed CEO. In 2016, it was reported that Luxottica had lost its third chief executive in a year and a half, as Cavatora's replacement, Adil Mehboob-Khan stepped down one year after he gained
975-555: The extant share price. The deal was completed on November 15, 2007, making Oakley part of a portfolio that includes brands such as Ray-Ban , Persol , and Vogue. After the sale, founder James Jannard went on to found Red Digital Cinema . Luxottica's acquisition of Oakley was criticized as a potential violation of antitrust laws . This move also moved more of Oakley's manufacturing out of the US and portions of its sunglasses frames and lenses began to be produced in China and Italy. During
1014-750: The first in a rapid period of international expansion. The first of many licensing deals with a designer was struck with Giorgio Armani in 1988. The company listed in New York in 1990, and in Milan in December 2000, joining the MIB-30 (now FTSE MIB ) index in September 2003. The listing raised money for the company and allowed it to use its shares to acquire other brands, starting with Italian brand Vogue Eyewear in 1990, Persol and LensCrafters in 1995, Ray-Ban from Bausch & Lomb in 1999 and Sunglass Hut in 2001. Luxottica later increased its presence in
1053-541: The following: The company also makes eyewear under license for the following designer labels: These brands are sold in the company's own shops, as well as to independent distributors such as department stores , duty-free shops , and opticians . Luxottica Retail has about 9,100 retail locations in the United States , Latin America , Canada , India , China , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa ,
1092-453: The global market share and represents almost a billion pairs of lenses and frames sold annually. Despite not owning most of the market, the company has considerable price-setting power. It uses "spiff money", financial incentives to reward other industry players who co-operate with it, and has repeatedly driven companies that competed with it on price out of business, crashing their market share and stock price, then buying them out. It has used
1131-415: The group's philanthropic efforts, primarily providing vision services to underserved communities. The company has been criticized for the high price of its brand-name glasses, such as Ray-Ban , Oakley , and several others. A 2012 60 Minutes segment focused on whether the company's extensive holdings in the industry were used to keep prices high. Luxottica owns not only a large portfolio of brands (over
1170-464: The largest eyewear company in the world. It is, since October 2018, a subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica , which arose out of a merger between the Italian company and the French ophthalmic optics corporation Essilor . Luxottica was founded in Agordo by Leonardo Del Vecchio in 1961 as a sunglasses manufacturer selling and branding under its own name. Del Vecchio quickly acquired numerous businesses in
1209-659: The largest vision health insurance providers. In addition to licensing prescription and non-prescription sunglasses frames for many luxury and designer brands including Chanel , Prada , Giorgio Armani , Burberry , Versace , Dolce and Gabbana , Michael Kors , Coach , Miu Miu and Tory Burch , the Italian corporation further outright owns and manufactures Ray-Ban , Persol , Oliver Peoples , and Oakley . Luxottica's market power has allowed it to charge price markups of up to 1000%. In January 2017, Luxottica announced its merger with Essilor, in which Essilor would buy Luxottica while Del Vecchio would become executive chairman of
Eyeshield - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-693: The nose pieces and now the bands of their watches. Oakley went on to produce number plates, gloves, grips, elbow guards, chin guards, and goggles for the BMX and motocross communities. In 1980, Jannard released a pair of goggles called the O-Frame. With the 'Oakley' logo present on the strap, the brand garnered increasing recognition and prominence throughout the sports industry. In 1983, Oakley began selling ski goggles. The first Oakley sunglasses, Factory Pilot Eyeshades , were sport-oriented, resembling goggles and were released in 1984. These were followed in 1985 by
1287-573: The position. Upon the departure of Mehboob-Khan, Del Vecchio reclaimed executive powers and became much more active in the company. In January 2017, the company agreed to a merger with Essilor . The deal also offered a succession plan for Leonardo Del Vecchio, the company's founder. Shortly before the merger completed, reporter Sam Knight wrote in The Guardian , "in seven centuries of spectacles, there has never been anything like it. The new entity will be worth around $ 50bn (£37bn), sell close to
1326-497: The preparations for the ultimately successful rescue of thirty-three miners trapped for ten weeks in a Chilean mine in October 2010, a journalist covering the story contacted Oakley about donating sunglasses to the rescue effort, aware that the miners would need eye protection after having spent weeks in darkness. Oakley donated 35 pairs of its Radar sports glasses, fitted with specially selected tints. Oakley sponsored members of
1365-411: The prescription lens market was 41%. Euromonitor International estimated that Luxottica's market share was 14% worldwide, with the second-largest company in the industry, Essilor , holding a 13% market share. The third-largest player was Johnson & Johnson , with a 3.9% market share. In October 2018, Luxottica and Essilor merged into a single company, EssilorLuxottica, which now occupies nearly 30% of
1404-531: The pursuit of vertical integration, buying distribution companies rapidly and signing its first designer licensing agreement with Giorgio Armani . In 1990, the company listed American depositary receipts on the New York Stock Exchange where it traded until 2017. Luxottica retails its products through stores that it owns, predominantly LensCrafters , Sunglass Hut , Pearle Vision , Target Optical , and Glasses.com. It also owns EyeMed, one of
1443-455: The retail sector by acquiring Sydney -based OPSM in 2003, Pearle Vision and Cole National in 2004. Luxottica acquired Oakley in November 2007 for US$ 2.1 billion. Oakley had tried to dispute their prices because of Luxottica's large marketshare, and Luxottica responded by dropping Oakley from their stores, causing their stock price to drop, followed by Luxottica's hostile take over of
1482-897: The time, was greatly impacted by this. He was born with albinism and suffers from light sensitivity because he naturally has no melanin in either of his irises to block the sun. Oakley, Inc. Oakley, Inc. is an American company headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California , which is an autonomous subsidiary of Luxottica . The company designs, develops and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle pieces including sunglasses , safety glasses, eyeglasses , sports visors, ski/snowboard goggles , watches, apparel, backpacks , shoes, optical frames, and other accessories. Most items are designed in house at their head office, but some countries hold exclusive designs relevant to their market. Oakley currently holds more than 600 patents for eyewear, materials, and performance gear. Oakley
1521-410: Was started by Jim Jannard in 1975 in his garage with an initial investment of $ 300. The name "Oakley" came from Jim's English Setter , "Oakley Anne". Jannard began by selling what he called 'The Oakley Grip' out of the back of his car at motocross events. His motorcycle grips were unlike other grips available at the time. The material is still used to make the earsocks on Oakley glasses, and many of
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