There is a certain logic in giving a dog a shoe of their own, and this is a trainer-shaped toy built for exactly that. The body is Oxford cloth over a soft filling, and the laces are chunky woven cotton rope, which is the part most dogs go for first. It is about the size of a real trainer, so it is easy to pick up, carry about the house and shake.

Oxford cloth is a tighter weave than the plush most soft toys use, which buys it time against a determined chewer, and the cotton rope laces work rather like a flossing rope, with the strands sliding between the teeth as the dog gnaws. The filling is PP cotton, so the whole toy stays light. At 100 grams a dog can carry it around all evening without it feeling like work.

• Oxford cloth body with woven cotton rope laces
• PP cotton filling, 100g in total
• 18 x 8.5cm, roughly the size of a small trainer
• Three colourways: classic black, rock yellow and sea mist blue
• Rope laces give a flossing texture as the dog chews

Not a toy for power chewers. Fabric and rope will not survive a dog who dismantles things for sport, and loose rope strands are worth trimming off rather than letting them be swallowed. If your dog already struggles to tell your trainers from theirs, a toy shaped like a shoe is not going to help you teach the difference.

Who it's for: Moderate chewers who like something soft to carry, gnaw and toss around indoors.