The dog’s paw is an exquisite mechanism. The abuse they gracefully counter is astounding. Paws provide foothold, stability, and steering. Dogs feel the ground through their paws. While dogs mostly cool themselves by gasping, the sweat glands in your dog’s paws go about as another cooling mechanism. Any damage or discomfort to your dog’s footpads, interdigital spaces, nail folds, or nails can also lead to an altered stride, causing injury and imbalance throughout the body.
So when we endeavor to put shoes or boots on those paws, they must be designed to fit well, stay securely in place, and be made of materials that enhance their fit and comfort.
1. Ruffwear Grip Trex
Ruffwear started designing dog boots in 1997, and their designs have evolved. The Grip Trex is a lightweight, low-profile boot with a mesh upper and a rubber Vibram sole. It uses a hook-and-circle cinch closure and has a gusseted design to provide a wider opening that makes it easy to put them on the dog.
As we tested these products over a couple of months, we kept going back to this shoe. Initially, we doubted whether it would stay on because of the position of safety, however, it has consistently stayed put and not slipped down the paw.
2. Canada Pooch’s Hot Pavement Boots
Canada Pooch was founded in 2011 and, despite what appears to be a focus on fashion, produces some boots that are worth a look.
The Hot Pavement Boots have a mesh polyester upper and a thin rubber sole. They sport a hook-and-circle closure, a toggle at the highest point of the boot for extra security, and a strap at the back to help pull up the boot (note that with a hairy dog like Atle, the toggle can be a little challenging to access and use). The shoes are soft, breathable, easy to put on, and very lightweight. Their softness helps with positioning to try not to affect the dog’s wrist movement.
3. Wagwear’s Wagwellies Mojave
While Wagwear has been in existence since 1998, they look to be a genuinely recent entrant to the shoe market with their riff on Wellington (“Wellie”) boots. This shoe represents a shift from the run-of-the-mill dog shoe “look” and the material is reminiscent of the rubbery “jelly” shoes for humans that were ridiculously famous during the 1980s.
The shoe is a 100 percent rubber slip-on with a hook-and-circle closure. The Mojave has perforated holes on top for ventilation (think today’s Crocs) and is meant for hot and dry weather.
4. Muttluks’ Original All-Weather Boots
Muttluks has been making dog boots since 1994, offers a wide variety of styles, and has great customer service. The “All Weather” was one of the first entrants to the performance dog boot market and was one of our former top picks for winter dog boots.
The shoe is made of nylon with a lightweight covering inside. It has a ribbed sleeve, a flexible suede-like sole (made of treated leather), and a Velcro hook-and-circle fastener.
5. Kurgo’s Blaze
This shoe seems to attempt to cover every base, with all the features we liked in its competitors: It’s water-resistant, breathable, and made with a tightly woven nylon mesh and synthetic leather upper, a super lugged sole, a gusset that makes putting it on easier, and a hook-and-circle closure with a toggle to help secure the boot at the top. The company was quick to respond to a request and the size is stamped inside.