New Balance released a new 550 sneaker with leopard print and it might be the classiest, slickest way to rock the trend. And yes, it is a trend: leopard print is actually back.

Is there any clearer sign that leopard print will be everywhere for the foreseeable future? It’s been smacked onto a pair of New Balance 550 shoes, still one of New Balance's most popular and mainstream sneaker designs.

In cream and black colorways, NB's new 550 has leopard print touches on the “N” logo and on the back heel, above the contrasting rubber sole but is otherwise print-free.

It’s just a touch of leopard, reminiscent of the New Balance 327 leopard colorway, which also uses the lateral logo to show off a little animal kingdom personality. 

The leopard touches are low key enough to make it versatile though there are other sneakers out there if you want to play with the trendy print in a louder manner.

For example, Nike released a leopard-printed women’s Air Max shoe at the end of last year, with a wrap-around leopard accent taking up the whole bottom half of the shoe. It’s just a little more in your face than this most recent New Balance take.

Leopard print can be a hard pattern to get behind but you’re going to have to, somehow, as the animal print is officially “back” as the go-to look for 2024.

Leopard print never really goes away, too, but with the birth of the mob wife aesthetic, it’s definitely enjoying some renewed love right this very minute, both ironic and sincere.

But you don’t have to go full-on Carmela Soprano with leopard print faux fur and polyester dresses to rock leopard print, as New Balance demonstrates in a comparably tasteful manner. Maybe it's just an extension of the renewed desire for animal fur.

Don’t call it a comeback, but this New Balance 550 colorway, currently available at the usual New Balance retailers, means leopard print might be here to stay for good this time. Or at least for a good long while.