Step in Style Leopard-Print Platform Sneakers with Chunky Sole

Leopard-print platform sneakers on a sole you can hear coming

These leopard-print platform sneakers from Step in Style are loud on purpose. The sole is thick and deeply grooved, the upper mixes plain panels with leopard print, and the laces match the main colour.

Inside there is a fleece-type lining, which the maker added for cooler days. They come in red, black and beige, in EU sizes 36 to 40. The insole measures 23.5 cm in size 36 and 26 cm in size 40.

At a glance

The piece: three colourways, one chunky shape

The wholesaler lists these under the brand Step in Style. The maker's text calls them sneakers from the Vinceza brand. We mention both, because we can't tell from the data which name is on the shoe.

The description says: sneakers on a massive platform, with lacing, a leopard print and an interior lined with shoe fleece. It calls the upper suede. No composition comes with it, so we pass that on as the maker's statement.

Each colour treats the print differently. The red pair has a red-and-black leopard. The black pair has a classic beige leopard with black panels. The beige pair has a brown leopard on a sand base, and its sole is taupe where the other two are black.

Who they're for

For you if your sneakers are allowed to be the loudest thing you wear. A plain coat and jeans become an outfit with these underneath.

The platform adds height without a heel, and the lining makes them an autumn and winter shoe. If you want a quiet all-rounder, this is the wrong pair. The beige is the mildest of the three.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Massive platform sole with deep vertical grooves (maker's data and photos)
• Leopard-print panels next to plain panels (maker's data and photos)
• Lacing through five pairs of eyelets (maker's data and photos)
• Lining of shoe fleece (maker's data)
• Suede upper according to the maker (maker's data)
• Rounded toe, padded collar (photos)
• Insole length 23.5 to 26 cm (size table)

Not in the data: the height of the platform, what the sole is made of and a composition for the upper. If you avoid animal materials, ask us before you order and we will check with the supplier what the suede is.

Materials and build: suede, says the maker

The maker describes the upper as suede. In the photos the plain panels do have a soft, napped surface, and the print panels look the same with the pattern on top. We have no composition sheet for these shoes, so treat suede as the maker's claim that we could not check.

The lining is shoe fleece, a soft pile fabric that makers use in winter sneakers. The maker says it gives comfort and warmth on cooler days. The sole is one thick moulded block with grooves all the way round.

Size and fit: measure the insole, mind the lining

The maker's table gives the insole length per size: 23.5 cm for 36, 24 cm for 37, 24.5 cm for 38, 25.5 cm for 39 and 26 cm for 40. Between 38 and 39 the step is a full centimetre.

Compare those numbers with the insole of a pair that fits you. A lined shoe feels a little snugger than an unlined one of the same length, so if you are between two sizes and like thick socks, take the larger one. The table says nothing about width.

Size chart (insole, cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for all three colours. Measure the insole of a pair that fits you and compare.

Styling: let the shoes talk

All the photos show them with cropped light jeans and a bare ankle with a thin anklet. That is the right idea: keep the hem above the shoe so the print and the sole stay visible.

Wear them with black trousers and a camel coat, or with a plain knit dress and tights. One print per outfit is our rule here. A leopard scarf on top of leopard shoes is a lot.

When to wear them

The maker suggests casual and more striking outfits. They are street shoes for the colder half of the year: the commute, a day in town, a concert, the Christmas market.

They are fashion sneakers. Nothing in the data says they are made for sport or for heavy rain.

Care

The supplier gives no care instructions. For a napped upper, a soft dry brush is the safe first step, and a suede protector spray before the first wear helps against stains. Keep them out of the washing machine, and let them dry away from the heater if they get wet.

The wow detail: the sole

The print gets the attention, but the sole makes the shoe. It is cut into thick vertical blocks, like the tread of a tractor tyre turned on its side. On the red pair the black sole against the red upper is the sharpest contrast of the three.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the pair is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More trainers are in our women's sneakers collection.