I always thought that Otis simply had sore muscles from the run but the Bark'N Boot product development testing brought to light the positive impact that booties have against stone bruised and sore pads. Look at the technology in human footwear and how specific shoes allow us to perform at the top of our game for specific activities. Trail running is hard on everyone's feet. Rocks, roots, mud, snow or ice can be torturous. Generally, dogs' paws become conditioned to be able to run on familiar surfaces after a few weeks but the beginning of the season, new terrain and changing environmental conditions can cause stone bruising, cuts and blistered pads.
Pavement comes in thousands of textures and can be extremely abrasive.
Hot in summer, freezing in winter and often riddled with glass and sharp metal debris. Laced with oils, solvents and de-icing chemicals, this would be the last place I would let my dog run without booties. Yes, certain conditions produce sticky, wet snow. In these conditions the snow will ball up in-between the dogs toes and cause irritation, cuts and tenderness. Dogs often chew at this frozen snow, pulling out fur and in some cases chunks of their pads.