Carole Baskin-Approved: 5 of the Best Big Cat-Themed Creps
Hey all you cool cats and kittens! If you’ve watched the hell-storm shitshow that is the Netflix hit Tiger King, you know two things. One, that Carole Baskin knows way too much about using sardine oil to attract tigers (we’re not saying she used the technique on Don, but…). And two, that she wears a crazy amount of animal print. Like, she’s never not wearing animal print.
And that got us thinking, what feline footwear would get her tick of approval? Here are five of the best cat-themed creps we could find.
Nike Air Max Plus 'Tiger'
Tiger by name, tiger by nature. The 'Tiger' may be more aggressive than Carole's docile exterior, but if big cat–inspired sneakers are what you want, these hit the nail on the head. With the signature yellow-orange fade, and black tiger stripes, they're the full package without going too literal. Watch out in a jungle – or at a train station – near you.
Jeremy Scott x adidas JS Tiger
But if you did you want to go literal... there's always the x JS Tiger if you want serious tiger toes. They come rugged up in fur, with orange and black stripes for when you wanna go incognito. If you're still in doubt about the inspiration for the design, they also sport a tail at the heel. They're so convincing that it's hard to say whether Carole would wear them, or put them in a cage under the guise of 'conservation'.
atmos x Nike Air Max 1 'Animal' 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
As far as furry footwear goes, the legendary x 'Animal', along with its 2.0 and 3.0 offspring, is the king of the jungle. With a veritable menagerie of beasts represented across its hairy upper, you'll camouflage in any habitat. The third iteration did allow you to spruik your animal allegiances more loudly, with all-over leopard or tiger prints, but Carole loves all cats, so we're betting she'd stick to the 1.0.
Dior B23 'Leopard'
White and black, like the rare Snow Leopard, there's no doubt the B23 would stalk into any cat-lover's rotation as efficiently as a big cat stalks its prey. Falling under the 'luxury hypebeast' genus, they'll set you back a pretty penny, but in the streetwear kingdom there's value in the subtle flex.
Bodega x Saucony Elite G9 Shadow 6
Not only does Elite G9 Shadow 6 sport a little leopard coat, the combination of prints and colours is as hare-brained as Carole herself, though on the shoe that's a good thing...
Sand, red and ginger suedes sit next to leopard spots and shining purple satin for a regal touch on this beast of a colab.
Anything PUMA
Sure, we've already given you five shoes, just like we promised in the header, but you can't pay tribute to big cat sneakers without mentioning the brand that features a large pouncing feline on its omnipresent logo: PUMA. I mean, does this even need an explanation? As if the founder of Big Cat Rescue wouldn't have a couple of pairs of Big Cats prowling in her closet.
Header image source: Netflix.