The Red Shoes


Posted on Nov 28, 2007
By Julia Szabo

Talk about turning the other cheek: My incorrigi-brindle dog DD recently DD-voured my favorite pair of lug-soled, lace-up boots by Ralph Lauren - footwear, I might add, that had seen me through the last two decades without once requiring attention from a cobbler. I may be bootless at the moment, but that doesn't mean DD has to be. Would I make her go barefoot in the park in winter? Perish the thought: when hell the sidewalk freezes over, her feet will benefit from the improved traction of substantial lug soles just as mine would, if I still had my beloved boots.
 
That's because Ruffwear has created Bark'n Boots Grip Trex, the first lug-soled dog bootie built on an anatomical mold, just like shoes for humans. Velcro straps make Bark'n Boots stay put while being easy-on and -off; black rubber Vibram soles make these the essence of cool, masculine, non-fussy K9 accessorization. Your dog won't tolerate anything on his or her feet, you say? Give these a try anyway: because they were designed to fit actual canine feet, they're more comfortable to wear, so dogs tolerate them much better than those cheaply-made poor-excuses-for-booties you recall Spot kicking to the curb.
 
But please don't wait until the last minute, when walkways are iced over and asphalt is crusty with paw-burning, snow-melting salt (booties offer an excellent protective barrier against this urban scourge). Add Bark'n Boots to cart sooner rather than later, giving yourself a little extra time to bribe persuade your dog to boot up (don't forget to offer motivation in the form of soft, chewy treats).
 
Sebastian, a rescued standard poodle, hesitated initially after his Bark'n Boots were strapped on for the first time, doing his best Baryshnikov impersonation by standing on pointe like Nijinsky of Ballets Russes fame (a spectacle that prompted his witty walker, designer Eric Cohler, to describe Sebastian's fancy paw-work as "Ballet Ruff"). After a few minutes of getting used to (and, yes, shaking) his booties, even the opinionated, fiercely independent Sebastian was able to go walkabout as if Bark'n Boots were natural extensions of his own elegant extremities.
 
Now, if anyone can tell me where to find a suitably Ralphish pair of Vibram-soled lace-up boots, women's size 7 1/2, please drop me a line. 
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