Pop Culture and sneakers have had a long relationship. Some of the biggest movies of all-time have a memorable sneaker that is a part of the legacy. The Reebok Alien Stomper, featured in Aliens and the Alien Franchise, is a popular collaboration between movies and sneakers.
Stomper
Moviegoers were introduced to the Reebok Stomper when Aliens hit theaters in 1986. Ellen Ripley, the star of the franchise, wore the Stomper on screen. Ripley was portrayed by the icon, Sigourney Weaver.
The Reebok Stomper was designed to represent the militaristic futurism of the film. The Stomper, like the Nike Mag from Back to the Future II, was a shoe meant for fiction, not real life. Film fans, and sneaker fans, two of the most dedicated fanbases, willed both shoes into the real world.
2016
It took 30 years, but the Stomper was finally released to the public in 2016. Currently, the shoes go for thousands of dollars on the secondary market. A lower cut version has been released, that was worn by the character Bishop in Aliens. Reebok has also released different colorways of the mid cut version that honors the film.
Designer
Tuan Le, who was working in Reebok’s basketball department at the time, would design the original stomper. His only mandate was to make a shoe that could easily slide off Ripley’s feet. That is where the velcro straps came from.
Alien Romulus
The Alien franchise, and the Reebok partnership, are returning this summer. Romulus opened in theaters on August 16, 2024. Reebok has once again provided sneakers for the film.
The Reebok BB4000 II was used as the canvas for this most recent collaboration for Romulus. The shoe has the standard white and red colorway, and features a tattered look, this is to match how the shoes look in the film. Reebok has confirmed that there are several Easter eggs hidden throughout the shoe.
Legacy
The Alien films are some of the most popular films ever made. The Reebok Stomper was one of the first famous sneakers in a big movie, and its legacy continues today. Romulus is now in theaters.
- Adam C. Better
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