Don’t get fooled buying fake Oakleys!

Whether online or on the street! This guide will take you through 9 foolproof ways to spot Fake Oakley Sunglasses!

These general rules to spotting fake Oakleys can be applied across the board. If you’re looking for model specific guidance, scroll to the bottom of this article and check out the links provided!

Shout out: We’ve gathered this information from a number of sources on this site! Big thank you to member Cacatman, SiRacer 420, and more!

1) Check the price

If it’s too good to be true, it probably is! You’ve hard that saying a million times, and when it comes to Oakleys, it still rings true. Oakley’s often retail for $100-$500+, so if you’re seeing new pairs selling from retailer for $20-$30, they’re 99% likely to be knock off Oakleys.

It is possible to find Oakleys for slightly less than retail on sites like eBay or the Oakley Forum Exchanges , but you’ll want to do your homework before buying cheap Oakley sunglasses.

2) Check the spelling

This is an easy one, but do you think Oakley would spell their own name wrong? Whether its “Oakly”, “Oakely”, “Oakey” etc., the lower end fakes often have mispellings in the name. This is a dead giveaway to turn around and run!

3) Check they exist

Did you just find a Fandango? This term is used by Oakley collectors to describe the terrible fake pairs that never even existed! A quick google search should tell you if Oakley ever made the model you’re about to buy.

The second half of that equation is does the pair you’re buying look anything like what the internet says it should. This is a simple way to tell if your Oakleys are real or fake.

The picture below is a terrible fake, which looks nothing like any of Oakleys pairs. Aka a “Fandango”.

Oakley Fandango Sunglasses that were never a real pair.

4) Lookup the SKU

Often Oakleys have a Serial or SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) number on the inside of the arm stems. These numbers often start with OO on modern pairs, followed by alphanumeric codes, such as OO9999-99. On older and vintage pairs, the SKU/Serial number may just be a serious of numbers separated by a hyphen such as 99-999.

If you’ve found the SKU number on your pair of Oakleys, try a quick google search or even calling customer service. You should be able to pull up the exact model based on the lookup, and check to see if it matches your pair.

SKU number pictured on the inside of a pair of Oakley Pit Bulls.

5) Beware the sticker!

Beware of large stickers on your lenses, often that say “Oakley”. Polarized Authentic Oakleys may come with a small P sticker on one lenses (pictured below), but there are rarely any other stickers on the lenses. Those lenses are Oakley’s pride and joy – they don’t want to mess with them. In general the legitimate stickers will only inform you about the lenses themselves, often differentiating them from standard ones. Legitimate sticker examples below:

Authentic Oakley Madman with updated Polarized “P” sticker

Authentic Oakley Madman with real “Prizm Polarized” sticker

Other guides have reported that an “O” on the lens is a sign of a fake. While this typically is the case, especially if it’s a sticker, member Fernando was keen to point out that the Oakley OO has an “O” in the left lens. The frogskins below show an example of fairly common “O” stickers you’ll find on Fake Oakleys.

Fake Oakley Frogskins with Oakley O sticker, a common tell among fakes.

6) Inspect the ear socks

Often on fake Oakleys, the ear socks are thinner and may slide on and off very easily. This is often due to them being made out of cheap plastic. Additionally you may notice a gap between the frame and the earsocks due to misaligned parts. While Oakley earsocks certainly slide on and off, when fully in place they are flush to the frame. On fake pairs it’s not uncommon for the earsocks to be poorly cut and not fit the frame itself.

The photo below compares the top (fake) Oakley’s with real Oakley New Straight Jackets on the bottom. Notice the fit, shape and quality of the earsocks between both pairs.

Fake Oakley Straight Jacket (Top) vs. Real Oakley Straight Jacket (Bottom). Photo by SiRacer420.

7) Notice the size

Fake Oakley’s may be smaller than real ones. Not surprising that the people trying to scam you want to save on materials. See below in the same example from before. The fake Oakley Straight Jackets (left) are signficantly smaller than the authentic pair on the right. If you’re buying Oakleys on the street and notice they are much smaller than you previously remembered, this could be why.

Fake Oakley Straight Jacket (Left) is smaller than the real Oakley Straight Jacket (Right) Photo by SiRacer420

8) Check the Model Specific Guides

These forum links were compiled by member Cacatman and the content provided by a number of members. For the complete and latest list, check out this thread: Cacatman’s Guide to Fake Oakleys. Additionally try the search function here for any pairs not listed.

9) Still unsure? Post in the Fake Inquiry Thread to find out

Here at Oakley Forum, we have a hatred for Fake Oakleys. If you’re still unsure about your specific Oakleys, try posting in our dedicated Are these Fake Oakleys Inquiry Thread. With over 9,000 replies, the forum has helped thousands of members identify whether their sunglasses are real or fake!

Have another tip or trick to quickly spotting fakes? Share it in the comments below!