Forget the Adidas leopard print Sambas – I’ve been wearing these Steve Madden leopard trainers that had people mistaking them for the sold out £1k Wales Bonner pair
As a die hard fan of everything leopard print, when Adidas announced they were going to be releasing a pair of leopard print Sambas you better believe I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. After coveting the Wales Bonner collaboration ever since it launched in 2020 but not being able to bring myself to fork out the resale price of them (some are listed at more than £1000), I was determined to get my hands on a pair of the leopard print Adidas trainers.
The latest Adidas leopard print launch came and went and considering they sold out in mere minutes, it’s no surprise that I missed out again. However, all was not lost, because I then spotted this pair of Steve Madden Ethora-L Trainers in – you guessed it – leopard print, and I simply had to have them.
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The Steve Madden Ethora-L Trainers have everything I loved about the Wales Bonner X Adidas pair; pony skin leather uppers, an oversized fold over tongue, and a gum sole, and someone actually asked me if they were the Adidas version. They’re also more comfortable, with the tongue being made from a soft, flexible suede rather than leather, which makes it less likely to rub or dig in.
And the best bit? You can still pick up the Steve Madden Leopard Print Trainers, with no crazy resale prices or frantic rush to purchase before they sell out. They’re available for £160 in sizes 4 to 8, and I found them to be perfectly true to size.
I decided to take them for the ultimate test drive – two days working and walking around London, tackling pavements, the tube, the rain and hours on my feet. And I have to say, they held up brilliantly. There was some slight rubbing at the back where the leather heel tab sits, however this was the first time I had the Ethora-L Trainers on my feet, so I would have been shocked if there wasn’t some initially breaking in to be done.
Once they wore in though, they were lightweight, comfortable and easy to slip on and off, and I have to say they absolutely made my outfits. Even though I was wearing simple pieces like denim and jumpers, the leopard print trainers added a cool, colourful edge to them that really elevated each look effortlessly.
The purple tongue is also an amazing unexpected pop of colour that works with so many different combinations, from brown and navy to pinks, reds and blues. It also has a hidden velcro tab that allows you to not only hide your tied laces, but stops the tongue from slipping around to the side, too.
Although I will live and die by leopard print being a neutral, if you want a different pattern the trainers also come in a black and white zebra print, which cost £140. Elsewhere, you can get your hands on the Gola x Anthropologie Elan Leopard Trainers for £95, which have a similar pale blue and leopard print combination to the Adidas X Wales Bonner trainers, but have more of a Samba-like silhouette.