Raw / Plasma, Fire Iridium Polarized

When I first saw the photos of the Madman prior to their release, my first comment was “those look weird” and I was not sure whether I liked them or not. The more I looked at them the more I liked them and knew I really wanted a Raw with the Aluminum Cylinder Case. I was very fortunate to be able to obtain a Raw, and loved everything about them from the first time I tried them on. The look, the feel, and the comfort are perfect. I also obtained a Plasma Fire which I have been wearing not stop for 6 weeks now, and the compliments I have received on these frames have been incredible. I simply love these frames!

Weight 33 gm. For me, the pinnacle of the Oakley production line has to be the X-metals. These are beautifully made sunglasses which feel solid, look simply crazy and are a must have for any serious collector! No matter what anyone says, there are very few faces that don't look strange with a pair of these on. It's unbelievable, but these sunglasses were banned in Australia (ie. you could not purchase them from a retail shop) because allegedly, they didn't provide enough eye protection due to the shape. This is absolutely true if you try wearing these sunglasses. The other strange thing about these sunglasses are that when they are folded up, the arms stick out from the sides of the sunglasses by about 3.5-4 cm!! If you need a hard case, they need either the original case that shipped with them, or an X-metal case. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the arms. As alluded to previously, they are a reinvention visually of the moons, mars, and tailend lines. Buy these if you're a serious collector, or just want to look weird!

Frame: X-Raw
Lens: Fire Iridium Polarized

When I first heard that the X-Metal line was coming back, my initial reaction was excitement. When I heard there would be a limited edition release of one of the two frames I got even more excited.

The initial reaction when first seeing the Madman was shock. One of the first things I noticed, was that the arms extended way past the lenses. After trying on a pair of Dark carbon, daily prizm polarized, I realized that they did not look very good on me, so I was a little disappointed. I still went ahead with the purchase of the X-Raw limited edition as these would still make a great addition to any collection.

Didn't think I'd actually be able to get one, but was able to get my hands on one with much thanks to the people at my local O store. The overall packaging in the metal cylinder is over the top, and with only 150 in circulation, these are very cool.

The Madman is a new chapter in the X-Metal line. Immediately I felt that the style was a throwback to the Mars and Sub Zeros of the past. Many people compare these to the originals and are disappointed. The frames are aluminum paired with O-matter. I feel like there is still hope for the X-Metal line though. While they may never be what the originals were, I think that these are the beginning of the new chapter, and improvements are sure to come. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Dark Carbon/Ruby Polarized

I treated myself to a pair of these after trying on the BIP version. They're mad, but in a good way. My local dealer ordered them in, I happened to go in on a bank holiday weekend and they were having a 20% off on any sunglasses bought or ordered today thing. Result! These are actually surprisingly practical (like anyone cares!) as sunglasses, the smallish lenses sit quite close and (on me at least) there's decent coverage. The polarized Ruby lenses aren't quite as blue tinted as my older plain Ruby ones.

The styling... won't suit everyone, and it may take some nerve to wear them out in public. These are not display only glasses for me, I've worn them a number of times and had some interesting looks and comments. They're weird, but if you don't mind feeling a bit like Dr. Nefario they're great! Not the most comfortable pair I own, but they're pretty light and unobtrusive as long as I position then so that the top bar doesn't touch my forehead. The nosepiece feels a bit odd to start with, but I soon forgot about it. They seem to stay put pretty well, although I haven't tried doing anything particularly energetic with them on, just walking around town normally. Some Oakley designs sit so close that my eyelashes brush the inside of the lens (which I hate) but these are fine in that respect, surprisingly.

I'm giving serious consideration to ordering a custom pair via the prescription side, with a set of custom plano Emerald Polarized lenses...

If this is the first of a new line of X Metals, bring them on - we need more weird!

Badass is the word that comes to mind...
Nice fit, especially on a face not too large.
The Carbon Ruby colorway is really cool and will probably be the most popular. The RAW is a classic, expensive and rare...