Reebok Facing Backlash Over Alien Day Ripley Trainers

When Reebok announced it was to release limited edition trainers based on those worn by Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley in ‘Aliens’, fans were extremely happy.

It was a perfect product to release for Alien Day (26 April), but in an utterly bizarre move the company has only made the shoes in men’s sizes.

The pseudo-futuristic sneakers were made famous in James Cameron’s action sequel by virtue of being worn by one of the most memorable and kickass female heroines in cinema - but even Ripley herself wouldn’t be able to wear these.

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So, it’s a product celebrating one of the art form’s best female characters which isn’t being made available to women. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so sad and insulting.

The news comes courtesy of multiple fans (via Gizmodo) but also Suki-Rose Simakis - a creative development executive at SpectreVision films - writing for BirthMoviesDeath about how she discovered the shoes weren’t being made for women.

In the piece Simakis calls the move “just another passive way female film fans are subtly told to move aside, this isn’t for you.”

The extremely limited edition product (apparently there were only 36 pairs) sold out instantly and was only available in men’s sizes 8-12. The only official word from Reebok came through representative who said: “The Alien Stompers were released in men’s sizes due to retail demand.”

Alien Day falls on April 26th (or 4/26 to our American cousins) because LV-426 was the name of the planet featured in the first two 'Alien’ films.

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Picture Credits: Reebok / 20th Century Fox