If you’ve got a canine companion, you’re no stranger to scratch marks on your leg or friction burns on your hands.
That’s exactly why having a good pair of waterproof walking shoes could be an absolute game-changer.
As a dog owner, walking your dog is an essential part of your routine. Your four-legged friends may be light on their feet, but walking alongside them for many hours a week can seriously hurt yours.
The reason that dogs can walk unhindered for many hours is the natural waterproof padding on their toes. If you want to keep up with your canine buddy, you need some similar mechanisms.
So how do you choose a good pair of walking shoes for a pleasant walk with your fur baby? This post will guide you through the process.
Things to Consider Beforehand
So, resident dog walkers, what are some of the things that influence your daily walking routine? These are the things that will determine the kind of shoes you should be looking for.
Types of Terrains
Obviously, the most important thing that you need to take into account is the type of terrain that you encounter on a daily basis. This could be anything from flat, paved streets to rugged and uneven ground. Or, it could be a combination of the two.
Flat Ground
If you and your pooch enjoy urban life, you both will have fun on paved streets and even roads. You’ll be less likely to encounter rogue puddles or jagged rocks.
For this terrain, you should be good to go with some lightweight walking sneakers or trainers. Durability, breathability, and lightweightness will be your main concern.
Unpaved Roads
Unpaved gravel roads get a little tricky. There is a lot of loose sand and rocks working against you. While your dog walks ten paces ahead of you, you may start to feel a little unsteady and possibly lose your footing.
A highly stable shoe will be your best aid while you’re traversing unpaved roads with your dog.
Hills and Mountains
If you and your dog are avid hikers, you will need an extremely sturdy pair of shoes that are 100% waterproof.
Scree and rocky trails will become easier to navigate with sturdy, stable, and high-traction waterproof walking shoes.
It’s difficult to come across shoes that can sustain through all types of terrains. Loom waterproof sneakers are one of the few footwear products out there that have this multifunctionality.
Your Dog’s Activity Level
Your dog’s activity level and daily regimen will greatly influence the kind of shoes that you need.
If you have an active shepherd, collie, or other working/ hunting breeds, you must know that your dogs have a lot of energy. This means longer walks and runs.
As such, you need durable, high-performance running shoes with a comfortable interior. More importantly, you need hardcore cushioning so that you don’t injure yourself. This way, you and your spirited tyke can have a productive running session.
If your pooch is old and tired, then just a quick walk around the block would be enough to get him panting. Also, senior dogs can not control their bowels as well, so you should aim for three to four walking sessions a day.
What you need is something that is waterproof, lightweight, and easy to slip on. This way, your dog can relieve itself even when it's raining.
How to Select the Best Dog Walking Shoes
By now, you should know that regular, daily-wear shoes are far from enough for the rigorous trekking that you do daily. Instead, it would help if you had special walking sneakers that can endure all terrains and elements, all the while keeping you as comfortable as possible.
What you need is a pair of walking shoes with high durability, abundant cushioning, flexible material, and, most importantly, high water-resistance.
Think about it: if you are going to invest in separate dog-walking shoes, you would want them to endure all terrains and weather.
While it may be hard to find all-in-one walking shoes, Loom waterproof sneakers check all the boxes.
Let’s take a look at the aforementioned features and see how Loom checks out.
Waterproof
You may know how stressful it can be when your dog has to go, but it’s raining cats and dogs outside. Even if you begrudgingly strap on your regular shoes and take your dog out, you now have to pray that your shoes dry out before your dog has to go again.
Honestly, just avoid all this whole debacle and get yourself waterproof shoes.
Water-resistance is the most useful footwear feature when it comes to walking your dog. Even if it’s not raining, you still risk stepping into potholes or crossing gushing streams of water in the hills.
When it comes to 100% water resistance, there are few shoes out there that do it as well as Loom. Loom’s H2-Go waterproof technology withstands even the most aggressive downpours. Additionally, the upper windproof knit-layer doubles down on the weather-resistance.
There’s no question about it. If you’re a dog-walker, you simply can not compromise on waterproof walking shoes.
Comfort and Cushioning
Your shoes’ comfort factor should be right up there with its water-resistance. The thing is, if you’re not comfortable, you might subconsciously be rushing the walking session so that you can get home ASAP and put up your feet.
Moreover, good cushioning is paramount to a productive trekking session. You’ll know your feet are well-protected if your ankles sustain little shock while simultaneously gaining adequate energy return.
Loom waterproof sneakers combine a merino wool-lined interior and an excelcast outsole to give you maximum comfort and protection.
The interior is doubly-lined with merino wool, which is great for running. The cushioning minimizes foot pressure on all terrains, be it the rugged mountains or hard pavements.
Moreover, the excelcast sole acts as a shock-absorbent and maximizes energy return. This means that you won’t get tired as fast. Who knows, you might actually out-last your dog.
Durable and Flexible
If you’re investing in dog-walking shoes, you probably want them to last as long as possible. This means holding out against wear and tear, especially on rugged and uneven tracks.
Plus, if your dog is at the dreaded teething stage, you’ll find that most of the walking time is spent on him nipping at your shoes. It’s completely natural, but it can wear out your shoes too quickly.
This is where the shoe structure comes in. Regardless of the type of terrain, you’ll want a pair of walking sneakers that are durable and flexible.
Loom’s 3D mesh upper layer boasts Cosmo technology that protects the shoe from any scraping.
Additionally, the shoe-structure is form-fitting and hence quite flexible. In fact, the merino wool material is a 4-way stretch fabric, which means it can hold out against the pressure.
Breathable
You might not think that water-resistance and breathability go hand-in-hand. But that’s the thing about knit sneakers - they’re extremely breathable. And when it’s done right, the way that Loom does, you get the ultimate trifecta: waterproof, breathable, and thermoregulated.
When any fabric is knit together, it leaves little air tunnels for ventilation. This is also an important feature for thermoregulation, as the little air pockets act as insulators.
Additionally, the material can also absorb and expel the moisture inside your shoes to protect you from rashes and foot odor.
You’ll find this extremely useful during the summers when your dog insists on taking the long route back home.
Lightweight
Walking your dog is no easy task. Sometimes, it can take hours and countless sprints before they even get tired. For such long, strenuous walks, you could really benefit from a lightweight shoe.
Lightweightedness in shoes mainly depends on its material and construction. Usually, you can’t get both lightweightness and durability together. But with Loom footwear, you definitely can.
Fashionable
Honestly, there’s no better time for a photo session with your dog than during a walk. The natural lighting, the greenery, and the hair flowing through your dog’s fur make for the perfect picture opportunity.
It’d be a shame if your unattractive shoes were to ruin the aesthetic.
In our opinion, the most visually pleasing shoes are also the most minimalistic. All you really need is an elegant design and a minimal color palette.
With all the green and blue hues around you, a pop of black or white is all you need to stand out.
Conclusion
Leash? Check. Ball? Check. High-performance waterproof walking shoes? Check!
What more do you need to have the perfect walking session with your canine friend? Trust us, both you and your dog will appreciate your investment in a good pair of walking sneakers.
That being said, look out for all the features that we have mentioned. This includes water-resistance, cushioning, lightweightness, breathability, and durability.
While your dog happily trots alongside you, you should feel as comfortable as possible, so you don’t get tired before he does. Happy bonding with your dog!