Michael Jordan Is Again Oakley’s Go-To Guy

On the product front, Oakley is rolling out its newest sunglass model with a special twist: the reappearance of pitchman and basketball superstar Michael Jordan.

Jordan, wearing a fedora and blazer, models the new Mars shades in magazine advertisements that will appear in the March issues of Spin, Vibe and ESPN magazines and upcoming editions of Details, Interview and the Source.

It’ll be Jordan’s first appearance in an Oakley ad since sportswear giant Nike Inc. won an injunction last year barring Oakley from distributing an ad in which Jordan was wearing Oakley glasses and an Oakley beret. A judge ruled that the beret violated Jordan’s contract with Nike, which prohibits him from wearing anyone else’s gear.

Jordan was “significantly involved” in the design of the glasses, but the company declined to say exactly how. Mars is part of Oakley’s X-metal line and will retail for about $250. It will arrive in stores in March.

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Russ Stanton covers retail businesses and restaurants for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5609 and at russ.stanton@latimes.com