Why choose replica Oakley sunglasses (cleverly monikered "Foakleys") instead of the genuine ones? As the song goes, "There's nothing like the real thing, baby," to make you feel good about yourself. However, we have to cut corners here and there to make ends meet and still obtain the items we lust over--or items similar enough to achieve our stamp of approval. There are pros and cons to choosing replica Oakley sunglasses over the genuine ones. Mostly it depends on where you plan to wear them and the types of activities you'll be doing when you have them on.

When Replica Oakley Sunglasses Can't Compete

Genuine Oakley sunglasses are used as much for eye protection as for fashion. Replica Oakley sunglasses are great when you just want to look good, but for sports or work where you'll be moving at high speeds, or just have the risk of getting debris in your eyes, you'll want the real thing.

The United States military uses Oakleys as one of their favorite safety glasses. The lenses have been known to stop flying shrapnel from entering the eyes of our troops. In fact, if a member of the military contacts Oakley with a story of how they saved their eyesight, they're often awarded free Oakley sunglasses for life. Replica Oakley sunglasses can't make this type of promise since they're not normally made with the higher quality of plastic Oakley incorporates in their design, nor are they put together with such expertise that the lenses stay intact when struck.

One other thing replica Oakley sunglasses don't usually do is ensure clear vision even from the corners of the lenses. Real Oakley sunglasses are specially ground down on the outer edges to prevent distorted vision. In most cases, you also won't receive the same amount of sun protectionyou get from the genuine Oakleys.

So You Just Want to Look Good

If there's a darn good pair of replica Oakley sunglasses, why spend your hard-earned money on the real thing? You could be treating yourself to an Ipod, a pair of designer blue jeans that hug your body like no regular department store blue jeans could dream of--or buying tickets to a sporting event you just can't miss.

Everyone's not into sports, or in the military, so not everyone needs sunglasses made of special materials to stop flying objects. Even the slightly blurry peripheral vision may not be enough to hinder you when you wear a pair of replicas, depending on the quality of the ones you pick up.

Not to mention, a lot of us like to use sunglasses as accessories--not necessities--so we enjoy mixing and matching them with different outfits. If you're just wearing them for fashion, there's no reason not to buy eight or ten pairs of different fashion sunglasses instead of just one pair of Oakleys.

Still Want Your Foakleys?

No big deal. Here are some places to start your search: SunglassesMall.com and SunglassesBox.comoffer quite a deal: buy two get one free. The catch is, they choose the free pair.