Best Dog Shoes

Dog shoes are designed to protect your dog’s paws from the elements, whether that means hot concrete during the summertime, puddles during rain showers, or icy winter conditions. They come in nearly as many designs as human shoes. You’ll find adorable boots, rain boots, “sneakers” with traction, and even Croc-like sandals.

But how effective are dog shoes at repelling water and withstanding hot or freezing pavement? And, just as important, would CR’s four dog volunteers agree to wear them? Would they maybe even prefer wearing them over going bare-paw in the park?

To find out, CR evaluated five top-selling pairs of dog shoes and boots. (For the purpose of this evaluation, we used “shoes” as the catchall term.) We tried them on hot surfaces, cold surfaces, and wet surfaces, and relied on the “feedback” from five of our “goodest” boys and girls—all different breeds and sizes. Here are our top dog shoe picks and what you need to know to keep your dog safe, happy, and healthy in its new shoes.