The 9 Best Dog Booties

For dogs that hike over rock, scree and sun-baked trail, the Ruffwear Grip Trex pairs a breathable mesh upper with a Vibram rubber sole. CleverHiker ranked it first for traction on its slope test and found the sole held up for a few hundred trail miles before the toe seam wore. Boots come in pairs, so front and rear paws can take different sizes. The single strap can rub dew claws, and wet mesh dries slowly.

Ruffwear Summit Trex shoes are built for the daily walk: hot city sidewalks in summer, slush and road salt in winter. The upper is a light, water-repellent ripstop with a finish made without so-called forever chemicals, and the rubber sole won't scuff floors. Reflective webbing on the strap helps after dark. They come in pairs, so a wider front paw can get its own size. Reports on how long the fabric lasts are mixed.

Sold as a full set of four, QUMY Dog Shoes open wide along a split seam, so the paw slides in before two reflective straps cinch the top. The thick rubber sole has a deep tread for ice, gravel and hot asphalt. QUMY sizes by paw width and treats weight as a rough guide, so measure first. Fit is the sore point: some dogs walk right out of them, and the fabric can stay damp for hours.

Made for dogs that fight stiff boots, the Bark Brite All Weather is a neoprene sleeve that bends with the paw much like a wetsuit. A slit at the back opens it up, two elastic reflective straps close it, and a treaded rubber sole adds grip on wet ground. It keeps paws clean and stops ice balls from packing between the toes. Bark Brite says it isn't waterproof, and on active dogs it can slide off.

Older dogs that splay and slide on hardwood are who the DOK TigerToes socks are for. A thick rubber grip wraps the sole and keeps working when the sock twists, and the strap is sewn on, so there's no button to chew off. DOK asks owners to measure each paw while the dog stands with weight on it. The grip makes the knit stiffer than a plain sock, and these are meant for indoor floors, not wet or rough ground.

The Non-stop Dogwear booties come from a Norwegian maker of harnesses for sled dogs and people who run with their dogs. Each is a stretchy sock with a nitrile rubber coating, closed by an elastic strap that hugs the wrist, so it moves much like a bare paw. A four-pack covers one dog, and they go in the washing machine. The thin coating grips less than a molded sole, and the black fabric warms up in strong sun.

Deep snow calls for height, and Hipaw Winter Boots ride well up the leg, with a drawstring cuff that keeps snow from packing in. Inside is a soft fleece lining under a water-resistant nylon shell, with a rubber sole and two adjustable straps. Hipaw makes them for medium and large dogs only. They are bulky for warm days, and a loose fit can slip off during hard play.

Think of PawZ Rubber Boots as thin balloons of natural rubber that stretch over the paw with no straps at all. They keep paws dry and clean on rainy walks and salted sidewalks, and the thin rubber lets a dog still feel the ground. A pack of 12 goes a long way, since each one can be reused until it tears. They run small, they rip on sharp rock, and dogs with a latex allergy should skip them.

For a puppy or senior that only needs traction around the house, PUPTECK Anti-Slip Socks are a cheap way to learn whether a dog will put up with anything on its feet. Rubber dots cover both sides, so the grip still meets the floor when a sock turns. A hook-and-loop strap snugs the cuff, and PUPTECK suggests going smaller between sizes. The knit is thin and wears through quickly outdoors.