If you’re reading this, it’s already too late and you’re probably already screaming in space, where no one – not even us – can hear you. The Reebok Alien Stomper in its high-cut form has already sold out on Reebok.com and practically every boutique that stocked the super limited edition release. With only 426 pairs out there in existence, there’s a very good chance that the Alien Stomper – which depending on who you ask was only sold in men’s sizes or was mislabeled as such – will become as much of a highly desired collectible among pop culture aficionados as the Nike Air Mag.
But it could have been a much bigger deal if only Reebok had made more of them. Sure, while 426 is a cute number for marketing purposes, it could have propelled the brand to a space they haven’t seen a long time.
If you want to do a comparison of which movie franchise has meant more to the history of cinema, there’s no doubt that while both Alien and Back To The Future are very popular and influential, Ellen Ripley’s story and character means so much more. As a female protagonist, Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley was portrayed as a human with legit emotions and issues; she wasn’t the typical hero that just shot things for the sake of shooting them. This might not seem as big a deal in 2016 when characters like Daisy Ridley’s Rey in Star Wars and every action movie franchise that Jennifer Lawrence stars in are proving that women can be just as strong a lead as the guys and maybe even more, but in 1986 when Aliens debuted on the big screen – and especially in 1979 when the first movie came out – it was a game-changer.
If we’re going to take what Reebok says at face value and accept that they messed up in their labeling of the shoe as a men’s only drop, they still had a chance to blow this thing up to Back To The Future Day proportions. Granted, LV-426, the name of the planet featured in the first two movies, is not as meme ready as October 21, 2015 (aka the day Marty McFly traveled to the future) nor does it have a fancy gimmick like power lacing, but Alien is a sacred cow to science fiction and horror fans. Those fans could have been the hypebeasts that got people pumped up for today. The fact that this was the first time the Alien Stomper in the style Ripley wore – there’s also a mid that’s come back many times through the years but no one really cares – was going to be available to purchase should have been a huge landmark moment in sneaker culture too.
If they had made more pairs, like say 4,260, they would have all sold out and there would have been celebratory YouTube unboxings and snaps galore. Reebok Classics would have been in the limelight again for the first time since they revived Allen Iverson’s signature shoe line back in 2012. But as of right now, all we have are missed opportunities and opportunistic resellers hawking them online for four to five times the $175 retail price. Granted, those resellers would still be there if Reebok had made 4,260 Alien Stompers but there would have been way more pleased fans that are now able to totally rock the complete Ripley cosplay. Although I’m guessing you were already into cosplay, recreating the shoes wasn’t going to be a problem. And in this day and age when kicks like the adidas Yeezy Boots or Kobe Bryant’s high-cut Nike Elite signatures are all over the place, the Alien Stompers would have fit right at home like a facehugger. Wait, what?
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