Most of Mikki’s walks involve some passer-by staring at him walk past in his own dog shoes and when we go on longer outings to parks and such, he gets a lot of attention. Obviously, seeing a dog walk around in shoes when out and about is a rare sight, almost unheard of. Well, we haven’t seen any that’s for sure! Mikki has been wearing shoes now since early 2019 (thereabouts) and he wears them every single walk. Why? Keep reading😁.

Is It Really Necessary For My dog To Wear Shoes?

Reasons (logical ones to be fair) given by brands to sell dog shoes are to protect dogs’ feet when they’ve had an injury such as a cut paw pad and are recovering but also to protect them from frostbite, icy surfaces and thick snow in the winter as well as boiling hot asphalt in the summer ,which can cause burns and blisters. Or even harsh ground when they are going on long walks. Dogs can get little stones or grass blades stuck between their toes, especially those hairy breeds with hairy toes. Now you may be thinking that most dogs walk around ‘barefoot’ without incident and that shoes on them are just a ridiculous infringement on the dog’s comfortability (we’ve had abuse from passers-by as well).

Well although dog paw pads are naturally designed to be tough for walking and can withstand a regular battering from all types of ground, they do indeed get injured and this is a common complaint from many dog owners. As well as the potential issues mentioned, our pavements and grassy areas in our human world are full of chemical nasties, such as when salt is thrown down to melt ice/snow, which can cause harm to not just your dog’s paws but if they’re ingested when the paws are licked can cause serious damage and trips to the vet. It’s possible, although we’re not explicitly aware, that some breeds are also more susceptible to paw issues than others.

However all these reasons being valid, for us it’s more about basic cleanliness. Dogs like to walk in muddy parts and take no care where they walk in general when they are busy having a good sniff about outside. Mikki very much loves to get into everything and we’ve seen him step in other dogs’ mess many times. Yes he went for 2.5 years without shoes but one day we decided to order some dog shoes and we never looked back👟.

Dog Shoes Do’s And Don’ts

• The biggest issue people tend to have with dog shoes is finding the right size for their dog and we’ve found that adverts online tend to give the advice of measuring your dog’s paw rather than telling you straight away which shoes you need for your breed. Indeed, dogs within breeds can have different sized paws so the measuring advice is probably more valuable. So do measure the width of your dog’s paw then buy shoes that have a tad more width and never ever guess!
• Dog shoes should be snug enough as to not fall off (see video below for how to put them on) and not so tight as to cause a sore (it’s happened to us).
• Immediately you’ll be greeted by a veritable ocean of dog shoes when you search online or large shopping sites which can leave you thinking which ones are suitable and which are really not? It’s easy to get dog shoes wrong guys! There are even material dog socks being sold amongst the shoes. Have a look at the photos and video below for which ones you should actually be buying. Your dog shoes should be made with THE SAME features as your own shoe. This means they should have a rubber sole to withstand the ground outside and have non-slip properties. They should also be made properly and with the ability to stay on your dog’s feet, like your own shoes. You wouldn’t accept a pair of shoes that didn’t stay on your own feet when walking would you? It’d defeat the purpose.
• Ideally you want quality materials but what’s more important is that they are fit for purpose and well-made. Velcro straps (not zips they can come undone) are best making sure they are made with firm polyester or plastic and not stretchy material, the latter doesn’t last and is not waterproof (we’ve experience)! Get some that are labelled as waterproof which is very important. This means that buy some made of polyester with plastic like the ones in the photos. If they are lined inside with soft material even better because this will ensure comfort to your dog as well. Some of these shoes have reflective strips which aren’t necessary but don’t do any harm.
• Don’t fall victim to expensive brands because they are not necessarily more durable. There are a couple of brands that will try and sell you a pair of shoes for £25 each.. Well last we checked dogs have 4 feet, do they not? Fortunately most online sellers will sell you a pack of 4 shoes however some will try and get away with ramping up the price, so shop around. Our search for dog shoes began on Ebay and we’ve pretty much bought dogs shoes from there since. The ones we buy have different brand names on the same type of shoe (probably a wholesale job) and tend to come from China, even if they’re sold by a domestic seller. The best thing about them? They are excellently made and fit for purpose for the price. These dog shoes cost under £20 for a pack of 4 and shouldn’t cost anymore than that. Amazon has a whole load of dog shoes for you to choose from (to buy, click the button at the end of this post).👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

A Question Of Durability

Mikki is now on his 7th pair of shoes. The reason for this is because firstly he does wear them every day for 45 minutes to an hour walking without fail. This means that the sole is going to get worn down, separating from the shoe and it’s also a matter of the actual shoe that gets worn out. The velcro straps that keep the shoes on will eventually give up too. This is not just due to constant wearage but also due to the dirt and debris that builds up on the shoes.

After many months, they get so worn out by these factors that even with wiping clean they need to start being washed in the washing machine because the dirt becomes ingrained and leaks inside the shoe, making Mikki’s feet dirty. Then, they can only withstand the washing machine for a few months before they go caput. Mind you the last ones were bought on the last day in December 2020 and had to be binned at the time of writing this (end of January 2022).

That’s more than a year’s worth so they are definitely durable. Together with the price point, it’s worth updating them every year if you can get them to last that long. Note that washing them in the machine will age them much faster so we don’t recommend doing that until they are beginning to age (and anyway this is only applies to clean freaks! Guilty!🤷🏾‍♀️).

How To Put Them On Properly

This is the bane of every owner’s life who attempts to put shoes on their dog. Because it’s unnatural for a dog to wear shoes, when you finally get them on, most dogs will attempt to get them off but not before they do these hilarious moves around the room (handstands…yes really!). This doesn’t mean that the dog is uncomfortable or in pain though. It’s more about the initial shock of feeling their foot in a shoe.

We cannot give advice on how to get your dog to accept wearing shoes, however, as with anything new you want to introduce you should give lots of praise and rewards to your dog while doing so. Building positive associations are of the utmost here. When we bought Mikki’s first pair of shoes, we simply popped them on him and let him become accustomed to them before he went out on his walk. He wasn’t chuffed with them but as he loves his walks so much, he very quickly forgot about the shoes on his feet when he was taken out.

We advise that you give your dog some time to adjust indoors and encourage him to walk around before you take him out. The second problem owners tend to have is that they do not tighten the shoes properly and they subsequently fall off. The velcro tightens around your dog’s ankles and not his toes, so you should not be causing pain or injury by ensuring they are tightened, so ensure that both straps are pulled as tight as possible (your dog will get used to the initial discomfort).

When we first bought dog shoes, we didn’t tighten them enough the first time round and a couple fell off but we quickly fixed that. When you slide your dog’s paw into the shoe make sure you don’t catch his dew claws while your doing so, that is if he has any (Mikki has one). The video below shows the correct dog shoe putting-on procedure (watch till the end to see him walk)🙂.

There are many shoes to choose from on Amazon and the button below will take you to the ones pictured on the post. Happy doggy shoe shopping!