The first time I strapped boots onto Moss, he high-stepped around the back yard like the ground had turned to hot coals. That was 18 months ago. I bought two pairs of Ruffwear Grip Trex Dog Shoes, because the listing sells a pair of two boots, not a set of four. Now a pair lives in my hiking pack from spring through fall. Not on his feet every mile. In the pack, ready for the stretches where bare paws are the wrong tool.
I am Kari Brennan, 49, a dental office manager in Bend, Oregon. Moss is my 6-year-old red merle Australian shepherd mix, 46 pounds, about 21 inches at the shoulder, with a chest girth of 28 inches. We do 4 to 9 mile Cascade day hikes most Saturdays, a couple of one or two night backpacking trips each summer, and snowshoe outings in winter. The shoes are the newest piece of Ruffwear gear I own. They are also the piece I use least, which is exactly why they earn a spot in the pack. I bought them with my own money, and I have no reason to pretend they are something they are not.
The pair that stays in the pack, not on the dog
Ruffwear Grip Trex Dog Shoes are sold as two boots. I bought two pairs so all four paws are covered. They ride in the top pocket until the trail turns to lava rock, hot exposed rock or packed snow.
Amazon See the Grip Trex on Amazon →Lava rock stops being a guessing game
Central Oregon has stretches of rough volcanic rock that chew at bare pads. On those sections I stop, fit the shoes, and let Moss pick his line. The rubber sole gives him grip on the uneven surface, and the ripstop upper keeps grit from working into the seams. I do not hurry him. I let him choose the slow route around the sharpest pieces. Ten minutes of boot time gets us across a section that would otherwise end the day early.
Hot exposed rock gets a barrier between Moss and the surface
On a hot summer hike, open basalt can hold heat long after the shaded dirt has cooled. I do not carry a thermometer. I just know that when the trail crosses a wide, sun-facing rock slab, the shoes go on. The listing says the ripstop upper blocks heat, and that matches what I feel when I touch the outside of the boot. We take shade breaks. The shoes are one part of a hot-day plan, not the whole plan.
Packed snow stops balling up in his pads
On snowshoe days, packed snow can ball up between a dog's pads until every step looks uncomfortable. The shoes keep the snow from packing into the space between his pads, and the hook and loop straps stay snug when I set them right. I still choose low-angle routes in winter and I still turn around when the snow gets crusty. The boots do not make a bad route good. They make a good route cleaner for Moss.
Two pairs cover four paws, which the listing makes clear
The product title says 2 Count, and the first listing line says sold in pairs, not a set of 4. I bought two pairs at once. If you order one, you have two boots for four paws. That sounds obvious until you are standing in a trailhead parking lot with one boot left over. Buy two pairs, check the fit on the front paws first, and keep the spare pair in the pack.
The 2.50 in size is a starting point, not a guess
Moss is 46 pounds, about 21 inches at the shoulder, with a 28 inch chest girth. He wears the 2.50 in size. Ruffwear's fit comes down to the paw measurement, not the breed chart alone. I traced his front paw on paper and checked the sizing before I ordered. The hook and loop closure lets me snug each strap, but it will not fix a boot that is the wrong length. Measure first.
Three short yard sessions cut the high stepping
Moss high-stepped around the back yard for about three short sessions. I put the shoes on, let him walk, and took them off before he got fussy. No long training plan. By the third session he walked normally. I still check every strap before we leave the truck, and I still put them on with him standing on a flat surface. A calm start in the yard made the trail easier for both of us.
A snug hook-and-loop strap stays put on descents
The first few times I fitted the shoes, I left one front strap a little loose. It twisted on a downhill and I had to stop to fix it. Now I check all four straps before we move and again after a water break. The closure is hook and loop, and the shoes are hand wash only. These are not slip-on boots. A minute of fitting is part of the deal.
They come off on soft dirt, which is the point
I do not leave the shoes on all day. When the trail turns to soft dirt or pine duff, I pull them off and clip them to my pack. On long climbs I do the same. The shoes are warm in summer and they are not meant to be a full-time shoe for Moss. The point is to use them for the section that needs them, then give his feet air.
Four ounces in the pack is easy to justify
The listed weight is 4 ounces. In the pack, the pair takes up about the space of a pair of socks. I do not carry them on every hike. I carry them when the route has lava rock, hot exposed rock or packed snow. That is a narrow set of conditions, and that is why they earn the space. Gear that solves one real problem is better than gear that almost solves everything.
It is the least-used Ruffwear gear I own, and I still pack it
I use the Ruffwear Front Range harness on every hike and the Front Range Day Pack on longer days. The Grip Trex shoes are the least used of the three. But when the trail turns to sharp rock or packed snow, they are the only thing that does the job. I rinse them after a dirty day, dry them by the back door, and put them back in the pack. That is the whole routine.
What I'd Skip
I would skip the idea that these boots belong on every hike. On soft dirt, Moss is barefoot, and that is how I want it. I would skip buying one pair and hoping it covers four paws. I would skip guessing the size from a breed chart. I would skip leaving them on for a long climb or a hot afternoon just because they are already on. And I would skip any claim that a pair of shoes makes a dog ready for a route he is not ready for. The shoes are a tool for a surface, not a shortcut to a longer hike. Measure the paw, buy two pairs, fit the straps snug, and take them off when the ground softens.
Moss high-stepped for about three short sessions. By the third, he walked normally. That was 18 months ago, and no boot has been lost.
The pair I keep in the pack from May to October
Ruffwear Grip Trex Dog Shoes are sold as two boots. If your trails have lava rock, hot exposed rock or packed snow, start with two pairs and measure the paw. Moss wears 2.50 in. The rest is just paying attention to the ground.
Amazon See the Grip Trex on Amazon →