Non-stop Dogwear is a Norwegian company that has rapidly grown over the past decade, with their products now available in over 1,000 stores across 22 countries. While they focus on equipment for skijoring, canicross, and other pulling activities, they also offer a range of other products, including dog jackets, collars, leashes, and human gear. Today we are focusing on their unique dog boots, the Contact Bootie High!
Contact Bootie High
Light, high, comfortable
Use the code DogGearReview for a 20% discount on all their products worldwide.
Disclaimer: this review contains affiliate links, which support Dog Gear Review if you purchase the product after clicking on it without costing you anything extra. Using affiliate links will never compromise us in writing unbiased, honest reviews!
About the Non-stop Dogwear Contact Bootie High
The Contact Bootie High was developed to protect paws in snow and icy conditions.
Each boot features two elastic Velcro straps, allowing for a secure and more adjustable fit that keeps the boots in place during any activity.
The higher design ensures that the material also covers the carpal pads which tend to injure if the dog runs through icy snow. The lightweight material provides comfort and a good ground feel while wearing the boots to allow traction for the dog on slippery surfaces.
The boots are sold in packs of four and are available in sizes ranging from XXS to XXL, catering to a variety of breeds and paw sizes.
Non-stop Dogwear Contact Bootie High Sizing
I wanted to start this review by talking about the sizing because these longer boots fit a bit differently than most other ones and it can be confusing to decide what is the right fit and size. Zulu (as almost always) was between sizes so we received both the Small and XS sets. As you can see in the photo below (XS on the dog’s right paw, and S on the left one), there is a significant difference in height, excess material, and the width of the velcro straps between the two sizes.
When first trying on the boots, I liked the “tighter fit” of the XS size on all paws as there is less excess material and there is only room for minimal slipping. However, when it comes to these sock-type boots, you want the paws to have enough room to stretch to prevent chafing and to allow for the natural traction of the nails especially on slippery surfaces to prevent injuries.
The other issue I ran into with the XS size was that the second strap was sitting over the carpal pads - not above it, so as Zulu walked around, it slid down, and then both velcro straps were sitting below the carpal pads.
After that experience, I switched to the small sizes on all paws to see how that worked. While there is definitely some excess material around Zulu’s narrow paws, the height worked a lot better on the front paws. With the extra length, the socks can slide down a bit on the front paws until the carpal pads stop the top velcro strap.
The Small size was definitely too big on Zulu’s rear paws (see photo below with S on all paws) and there was way too much excess material there which is a good reminder that many dogs have different paw sizes front and back.
After a few trial runs, now we have a good system with the Small size on her front paws and the XS on the back ones (see photo below). Over the last weekend, we did a two-hour off-leash hike in the woods and I did not need to adjust these boots ones, there was zero slipping or issues with them falling off.
Non-stop Dogwear Contact Bootie High Review
The Contact Bootie High is an incredibly lightweight and packable sock to protect the paws. As with all sock-type boots - especially ones for winter, it is expected that the material will start showing wear and tear and will not be able to handle years of regular use. These are durable boots but the material is kept thin to allow for a natural paw movement and good ground feel for active dogs in the snow - not on rough terrain.
If you need a lined boot that keeps paws warm or something waterproof, it is not this one. However, Zulu crossed a few unexpected streams on our hike, stepping in water for a second and her paws were still dry at the end so it does provide some protection.
As the ends of these boots are made wider and shaped as a rectangle to allow for the paws to “flatten out” when the dog steps, you will always have some excess material flopping but as long as the dog is not at risk of stepping on it, it is not a concern.
The velcro straps on these boots are so strong that it can be hard to detangle them when they all stick together while in storage. There are a few different reasons for boots falling off but the most common is that the straps are not tightened enough. I found this a lot easier to get right with the thin material of these boots paired with the elastic velcro straps.
Having two velcro straps is also good for dogs with dewclaws who keep struggling with chafing on/under the dewclaw from boots. With this design, if the top velcro is properly tightened, you can leave the lower ones a little looser to still provide stability but they don’t need to hold the entire boot in place so you don’t need to have that much pressure over the dewclaws. Also just having the thin sock material helps with minimizing chafing in general.
The other thing I liked about the bigger size is the significantly wider velcro loops as this should distribute the pressure on the legs better than having thinner ones.
It took some time to get the sizing and the fit right just because this was the first long boot we have tried, but now I do like using them for snowy hikes to minimize the ice cuts on Zulu’s paws and carpal pads. It is still important to remember that they always have less traction with boots than without so I still try to keep her from running around in slippery conditions but she is a lot more confident wearing these types of boots than the ones that have thick rubber soles.
In summary, the Contact Bootie High is a great option for active dogs who just need a bit more protection while out on an adventure but it is not ideal for wet, salty roads or if you want a lined, warm option.
If you want to read more, we have an article about the different types of winter boots, the differences between summer vs. winter boots, and much more.
Contact Bootie High
Light, high, comfortable
Use the code DogGearReview for a 20% discount on all their products worldwide.
Disclaimer: this review contains affiliate links, which support Dog Gear Review if you purchase the product after clicking on it without costing you anything extra. Using affiliate links will never compromise us in writing unbiased, honest reviews!
