Aaron Hope 
California sneakerheads already know, but is the rest of the county and really the entire world ready for melted american cheese, grilled onions and 1000 island dressing? Because the sneaker industry is certainly embracing animal style of late, and 2012 sees a trend that began with a Japanese influence and gained momentum last year, radiate outward to the burgeoning brands who can perhaps best use these wild prints for their lifestyle designs. The Gourmet 35 is a prime example, a shoe built to look like an early ’90s runner that uses a leopard print suede to recontextualize the classic lines atop a sole that looks like it was lifted from one of Nike Running’s recent LunarLon efforts. The latest leopard sneaker awaits your click on the jump below for more photos, and be sure to stick with Sneaker News for updates on this trend as well as this model’s release date. via Sneaker Freaker
