Animal print footwear gained serious momentum in 2025 and the leopard, cow, zebra and snake print wave is not cresting anytime soon in 2026, certainly not for adidas Originals, who are embracing the trend with luxe material plays across an array of its blockbuster lineages.

adidas Leopard Print Trainers

The use of leopard print dates back to ancient times when African warriors and royalty adopted the mammal as a symbol to showcase their high-status, but it wasn’t revived in the modern world until the 1920s and 1930s, when Coco Chanel mimicked the pattern for her early collections. Let’s get stuck into some of the key adidas players for the SS26 season.

adidas Originals Handball Spezial

From its debut release back in 1979 to the present day – the adidas Originals Handball Spezial is a recipe that doesn’t tire. Pair them with dark denim and monochrome colour palettes. 

adidas Japan

First dreamt up back in 1964 to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, the adidas Japan is a 3-Stripes aficionado favourite with low-profile DNA. A minimalist terrace staple that looks the part with mod aesthetics and neutral, uniform-like layers. 

adidas Cow Print Trainers 

A pattern that saw a spike in exposure after Andy Warhol’s series of pop art ‘Cow’ prints back in the 1970s, cow print is a key player in the Americana trend that has seen large adoption in streetwear over the last few years and is a more tranquil – but equally as bold – alternative to leopard print.

adidas Originals Samba OG

Lightweight genetics, heavyweight personality. The adidas Originals Samba OG animal print takes materialistic cues from Wales Bonner’s AW23 collection.

adidas Originals Samba LT

The adidas Originals Samba LT nods to the design language of premillennial football boots. These ones fix up well with oversized layers, vintagey fabrics and trusty six-panels.

adidas Zebra Print Trainers

Adopted by Blondie and other punk mavericks back in the 1970s, zebra print provides a stark, two-tone alternative to both cow and leopard print that was originally popularised by stars such as Joan Crawford all the way back in the 1920s.

adidas Originals SL 72 OG

A renascent design from the 1970s, the adidas Originals SL 72 OG is a streamline model with plenty of poise that provides the perfect canvas for faux animal print experimentation.

adidas Snake Print Trainers

With origins that trace back to Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, snake print was first used as another symbol – just like leopard print was – to depict royalty, divinity and protection. 

These days, the serpentine pattern is used across high-fashion, but it has also made its way over to more mainstream footwear brands in faux format back in 2025 and now in 2026. We’ve handpicked a couple of our favourites for you below.

adidas Originals Superstar II

A classic gets reinvented with bolder proportions. The adidas Originals Superstar II dials up the robustness with thicker padding and a reworked Shell toe.

Explore more outlandish prints and textures across footwear over on the size? blog.