Love or loathe them, animal prints have proven to be a timeless staple in fashion. A new animal print emerges as the trend to watch each season, making its mark on runways and street style.
While cow print trends this season, classics like leopard, snakeskin, and zebra remain timeless—though styling them can feel daunting. Unlike versatile neutrals, these bold patterns require a touch of confidence and a flair for creative styling.
That’s where this guide comes in. Whether you’re drawn to the bold spots of leopard, the sleek lines of zebra, or even the whimsical touch of Dalmatian print, the key to mastering animal prints lies in how you wear them. This styling guide offers versatile tips and tricks to help you seamlessly integrate animal prints into your wardrobe—and embrace them as the timeless trend they truly are.
1. Can You Mix Animal Prints? Here’s How to Do It Right
You might debate whether to add another print to your outfit when you slip into animal-print shoes.
Generally, you want to avoid this. Having too much of a good thing is possible, and sticking to one animal print is best. While you can style it with a bold color, wearing more than one animal print can throw your outfit off balance.
Heidi Klum effortlessly masters mixed prints with a bold leopard coat, matching heels, and a camouflage handbag, blending patterns with confidence (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Take inspiration from Kim Kardashian’s bold leopard look for a masterclass in mixing animal prints. Known for pushing fashion boundaries, Kim effortlessly styled head-to-toe leopard print confidently, proving that mixing patterns can be chic.
2. Animal Print at Black-Tie Events: Stand Out in Style
Animal print is a perfect choice to stand out at an event. You can take a little black dress to the next level or add a classic feel to a contemporary style with the right animal print shoes.
This styling tip is all about creating a balance between your dress and footwear.
Laura Whitmore elevates her classic black satin dress with bold leopard-print pumps, adding a playful yet chic twist to her red carpet look (Credit: WENN)
If your dress is simple, go wild with your animal print. If your dress is a statement, keep your footwear simple. The Christian Louboutin ‘Kate’ sling 85 shoes in leopard print are the perfect plus one for any black-tie event.
Made in Italy from leopard-print leather, the “Kate” slingback pumps feature pointed toes and about 3-inch heels
3. Animal Print for Every Season: When to Wear What
Animal prints work for every season. While some are better suited to a particular season, you can usually wear them all year round.
Ashley Benson is summery in a crop top, denim shorts, and cow-print mules, while Jourdan Dunn looks cozy in her orange winter coat and reptile pumps (Credit: Mega / Lexi Jones / WENN)
Cow’s print is a trend that’s been popping up in spring and summer in recent years, while reptile print is a go-to for autumn and winter.
4. Go Bold: Pair Animal Print with Vibrant Colors
One mistake people make when styling their animal print shoes is thinking that the rest of their outfits must be neutral. The bolder, the better. Don’t be afraid to experiment with an animal print and jewel tone to create a color clash moment.
Olivia Palermo, Blake Lively, Lorraine Kelly, and Katy Perry wearing animal-print heels with clashing jewel-tone dresses (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
If you’re trying this styling tip, choose a color you can carry to the rest of your outfit. Pink is a classic choice to wear with any animal print, including zebra.
5. When Not to Wear Animal Print: Know the Rules
The art of knowing how to wear animal print is to know when not to wear it. While we’re devoted to our love of animal print, sometimes it’s inappropriate.
You can slip into animal print for a wedding, but it’s inappropriate for a funeral. It’s usually personal judgment to decide whether it’s suitable for the occasion, but animal print has bolder and more eye-catching styling.
If the occasion calls for a more somber look, skip your animal print for neutrals. You can still incorporate animal print on some occasions, like with these black snakeskin heels by Guess.
The Rajani court pumps come in classic black synthetic python leather material
6. Summer Styling: Animal Print Shoes for Warm Days
Summer is the one season when you might struggle to style your animal print shoes. The good news is that animal print comes in every style of shoes – including summer shoes.
Sneakers are transitional animal print shoes that you can wear for every season, but you can also find summer-specific shoes.
Fearne Cotton and Teri Polo pair their leopard-print heels and slip-on sneakers with summery casual outfits (Credit: WENN)
Moschino’s footwear collection includes a statement snakeskin sandal that we’ll wear all summer. You can style these sandals with anything, from a bikini and cover-up to denim shorts and a white t-shirt.
The key to wearing animal print in summer is to look out for bold pastel and jewel-tone shades that complement your summer tan.
Make a chic summer statement with these chunky green snakeskin-effect leather sandals from Moschino
7. Pair Animal Print with Solids for a Balanced Look
Play it safe by wearing your animal print with solids when in doubt. While we’ll usually reach for a neutral, you can use this styling tip for bolder colors.
Animal print shoes can help draw attention to your legs and elongate your figure with a solid color accentuating this effect.
Poppy Delevingne, Katie Holmes, and Ashley Roberts show how to elevate solid colors with animal-print heels (Credit: Lia Toby / Avalon / WENN)
Golden Goose’s cow-print logo-patch leather sneakers are easy to style with a solid-color athleisure set for a laidback weekend look.
Pair these cow-printed sneakers with solid-color athleisure for a cool and chic street-style
8. Keep It Simple: Effortless Animal Print Styling
You don’t need to be bold to make an impact in animal print. It’s easy to be put off by extravagant silhouettes or skyscraper heels. Some of the best animal prints are the most simplistic.
When adding animal print to your closet, start with classic shoes. Incorporating animal print into your daily wardrobe can make styling easier by making you more comfortable wearing the style.
Elle Macpherson, Jessica Alba, and Cameron Diaz pair statement animal-print shoes with laid-back ensembles (Credit: WENN)
Animal print loafers, like the ‘Cora’ leather loafers by Hush Puppies, are comfortable for everyday wear. Once you become more confident wearing animal print, you’ll find it easier to style with your favorite outfits.
Elevate any casual outfit with Hush Puppies’ Cora loafers
Wearing animal print shoes doesn’t have to be daunting. It’s all about how you choose to style them. Finding balance with your outfit is the key to wearing any animal print. You want to avoid wearing another type of animal print.
If you’re going for a matching look, keep your animal print limited to your accessories instead of carrying it to your clothes. With the right styling, you can wear your animal print shoes anywhere from the office to a black-tie event.
Celebrity-Inspired Ways to Style Animal Print Shoes
For more inspiration on how celebrities incorporate animal print footwear into their ensembles, explore these helpful articles on Your Next Shoes:
- Discover Kylie Minogue’s chic pairing of black-and-white animal print pumps with a monochromatic outfit, showcasing a timeless approach to statement shoes.
- Learn how Lily Aldridge styles leopard-print flats effortlessly with an all-white ensemble, proving that animal prints are perfect for casual elegance.
- Get inspired by Emma Roberts’ street style as she elevates an all-black look with leopard-printed sneakers for a comfortable yet fashionable touch.
- Observe how Keri Russell rocks zebra-print sandals to add bold accents to her casual-cool outfit, highlighting the power of statement footwear.
These celebrity-approved looks showcase the versatility and impact of animal print shoes, helping you take your wardrobe to the next level with confidence and style.
Discover More Ways to Rock Animal Print Shoes
What are your favorite styling tips for wearing animal print shoes? They offer a versatile and timeless addition to any wardrobe, seamlessly transitioning from casual to formal settings. Our guide on cheetah vs. leopard print shoes provides detailed insights for a comprehensive understanding of the distinctions between cheetah and leopard print shoes.
To explore various styles and designs, our curated list of different animal print shoes showcases options that can update your wardrobe.
Additionally, for inspiration on incorporating these prints into your outfits, our article on how to wear leopard print shoes features stylish celebrity outfits that demonstrate the versatility of animal print footwear. By exploring these resources on Your Next Shoes, you can confidently embrace animal print shoes and enhance your style.