Reebok Alien Stomper Shoes Honors Deadly Battle Between Ripley & The Xenomorph Queen
In case you missed the April 26 announcement coinciding with annual Alien Day celebrations of the timelessly terrifying cinematic sci-fi franchise, Reebok has taken one hell of a plunge into appreciation for sacred nerdy cows by unveiling the Alien Stomper “Final Battle” Pack, an immensely collectible pair of ultra-rare sneakers commemorating Ellen Ripley’s unforgettable climactic battle with a drooling, snarling Xenomorph Queen in James Cameron’s classic 1986 action thriller, “Aliens.”
Credit where it’s due, the rich, well-thought-out detailing of these sneakers reflect what could only be a dedicated fan’s love for the legendary franchise launched with Ridley Scott’s immortal landmark “Alien” in 1979 and followed up seven years later with Cameron’s mother of all great sequels. Look no further than the set’s distinctive handmade packaging for your first face-value proof of that: the unique double-cube is modeled to resemble the outer lock door of an ill-fated Weyland Yutani sprayed with a Xenomorph’s searing acid blood, complete with Reebok’s own corporate iconography. For the inner box, designers gleaned inspiration from the Xenomorph Queen’s hive and wove together a tableau of eggs, facehuggers, full-grown Xenomorphs and the gargantuan ship’s floor grates, air outtakes and hazard stripes of its Powerloader. This labor of love was fabricated from high-gauge cardboard printed with multiple techniques before finally being debossed for subtle textures and depth storing each shoe within an individual drawer.
As for the actual footwear? The shoes themselves are nothing less than works of fine fan-art. We could only describe these kicks as testaments to just how meticulously Reebok artists have scrutinized seemingly every solitary frame of Ripley and the Queen’s decisive duel of attrition. More than sneakers, these are wearable odes to the rich “Alien” folklore and we tremendously appreciate every single thoughtful stitch that went into them.
The Powerloader Alien Stomper complements the impactful safety-yellow leather upper with well-chosen icy orange outsoles, red arrows nodding to the original suit’s hydraulic movement and debossed “PWL” graphics and the model-identifying P-5000 serial number on the heel. In a final subtle salute to the industrial hardware that shielded Ripley while facing off with the snarling Queen, the mesh panels overlaying the Reebok logo and quilting on the insoles and tongue hearken to the mechanized cargo suit’s interior upholstery. Seriously, who is that obsessed with employing fine minutiae? Someone was clearly paying close attention and taking notes during the climax of this disastrous bug-hunt.
The Queen Alien Stomper honors the fact that the literal mother of all Xenomorphs certainly went down swinging. The overall gloss finish evokes the signature sheen of the Queen’s black exoskeleton. An otherworldly, toxic glowing green pulses under the clear midsole as a representation of her corrosive kroovy, an immaculate offset to the black patent leather material surrounding it. Once more, Reebok designers went deep to punctuate this honorarium to Ripley’s feral adversary: the Stomper’s forefoot strap is emblazoned with the species’ singular code designation, “XX121.”
Just…damn.
The unisex-sized Reebok Alien Stomper “Final Battle” Pack will be available July 18 at a princely price of $325.
