Hang On to Your Animal Prints, Spring 2020 Still Has Plenty of Them

Animal prints like leopard, snake and croc have been a mainstay trend lately, and a preview of new collections indicates that they will all be sticking around for spring ’20.

There’s no denying the ubiquity of the classic leopard print — though the term is often a catchall for any feline pattern. There are also those of the jaguar, cheetah and ocelot, animals whose prints can be differentiated by the size, shape and details of their spots. The latest iterations of leopard footwear stick to a neutral palette but stay fierce with platforms, wedges and stacked heels.

Leopard isn’t the only print crossing over to spring ’20. The snake print, a street style favorite during the last fashion month, has tightened its grip on the season.

Sam Edelman‘s snake-print boot references one of fall ’19’s biggest footwear trends: the statement boot.

Moc croc is also an omnipresent texture in current ready-to-wear collections, and spring’s best croc- and gator-inspired shoes take a big bite out of the trend in saturated colors.

Tortoise, while done more quietly, is also having a moment. The use of real tortoiseshell has been banned since the Endangered Species Act of 1973, but the allure of the stately spotted motif lives on — and the faux versions look even better.