Cuddle Clones, an American company best known for custom plush toys of people's pets, also makes slippers shaped like a specific dog or cat. You send photos of your animal, artists sew a pair of faux-fur slippers that copy its face, colouring and ears, and the finished pair arrives several weeks later. The gallery below shows seventeen examples, most of them posted by owners who lined their new slippers up next to the real animal.
The appeal is easy to see. A generic "dog slipper" is just a novelty; a pair that reproduces the white blaze on your collie's nose or the lopsided ears of your terrier becomes a small portrait you can wear. It is also a popular gift for people who have lost a pet, and the company accepts photos of animals that have died.
When these photos circulated in early 2019, the slippers were quoted at about $199 with a wait of roughly eight weeks. The product page now lists them at $249, with eight weeks as the standard creation time and paid rush options. Prices change, so treat any figure here as a snapshot and check the Cuddle Clones slipper page before ordering.
How custom pet slippers are made
The process starts with your photographs. The order form asks for the pet's name, breed and age, several pictures taken from different angles, and notes on details that matter to you, such as eye colour, the tilt of one ear or an unusual marking. Designers then work from those images to cut and colour the faux fur by hand.
A slipper cannot copy a whole animal, so the makers concentrate on the head. Ear shape, muzzle length, the pattern around the eyes and the main patches of colour carry most of the likeness. That is why short-faced breeds like bulldogs and boldly marked animals such as tuxedo cats tend to come out especially recognisable, while subtle brindle or ticked coats are harder to read at slipper size.
The current listing describes a memory-foam footbed, a non-slip sole and unisex US sizes 5 to 13, based on the wearer's normal shoe size.
Dogs and their slipper twins
Two black-and-white border collie types sit on a tiled kitchen floor with a pair of slippers between them, one modelled on each dog. Splitting a pair between two pets is a neat solution for multi-dog homes. Photo: halinmemphis on Instagram.
A long-haired black-and-tan dachshund poses beside slippers that copy its smooth-coated housemate and its own feathered coat. The tan "eyebrow" points that dachshunds carry are reproduced on the fabric, which is what makes the likeness click. Photo: chutney_muttney on Instagram.
An Australian shepherd with a blue merle coat and copper points grins next to its slipper double. Merle is a mottled pattern of dark patches on a lighter base, and the makers have mixed several fur tones to suggest it. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
A fluffy red-brown dog lies on a wooden floor behind two slippers that capture its long ear fringes and dark mask. Soft, flowing coats suit faux fur well because the material already has that loose, feathered texture. Photo: mingey on Instagram.
A small black-and-white dog in a bandana sits on a grey sofa beside its slippers. The oversized upright ears are the giveaway here, and they have been stiffened so they stand up just like the real ones. Photo: thebrokedog on Instagram.
An owner sits on her bed with two dogs, a pale Labrador-type mix on the floor and a little long-haired dachshund on the cushions, while each dog's slipper waits on the rug below. It shows another option: one slipper per animal rather than a matching pair. Photo: megdillion on Instagram.
A curly apricot doodle stands between its owner's feet with a slipper on each side. Curly coats are hard to imitate in straight faux fur, so the slippers lean on colour, the white chest patch and the round teddy-bear face instead. Photo: minniedoodle on Instagram.
A white English bulldog named Audrey sits on a hardwood floor behind her slipper versions. The pushed-in nose, heavy jowls and small folded ears translate well because they are bold, simple shapes. Photo: audreythebulldog on Instagram.
A cream-and-grey shaggy small breed, likely a Shih Tzu or Lhasa mix, peers out from behind a pair that copies its darker ear tips and beard. The slippers' tousled fur mirrors a dog that clearly was not fresh from the groomer. Photo: t_scorner on Instagram.
Two dogs, one of them an Australian cattle dog type, sit on a blanket beside three slippers while their owner holds a hand-lettered "you are loved" sign. Owners often order for every pet in the house, which is why some photos show odd numbers of slippers. Photo: lularoeashleyzilla on Instagram.
A black-and-white Shih Tzu sits between its owner's feet, framed by two slippers that copy its long white muzzle and dark ears. The real dog's coat is darker than the slippers, a reminder that the result depends heavily on which photos the makers receive. Photo: rainetrain on Instagram.
A close-up of slippers modelled on a black-and-tan Chihuahua, with tall ears and tan cheek marks. Small breeds with huge ears are among the most recognisable designs because the silhouette alone gives them away. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
Seen from the wearer's point of view, a pair based on a blue merle dog with tan points sits under patterned pyjama trousers. This is how most owners will actually see their slippers day to day: from above, nose first. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
A smiling owner sits with two black-and-white French bulldogs and the slippers made from them. The bat ears and pied coat pattern are typical of the breed and give the makers clear shapes to work with. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
A product shot of the Chihuahua design shows the full slipper, including the non-slip sole printed with the company logo. It gives a better sense of the shoe itself: a closed, padded slipper with the pet's head on the toe. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
Cats get slippers too
A long-haired tuxedo cat sits on a sofa above two slippers that copy its white bib, white chin and bright yellow-green eyes. Tuxedo cats are a gift to this kind of design because their markings are high-contrast and symmetrical. Photo: mycatkyle on Instagram.
A young woman holds a fluffy grey-and-white cat while a second, flat-faced long-haired cat sits beside her, next to slippers that copy them. Long-haired cat breeds such as Persians suit faux fur well, though their flat faces need careful shaping around the nose. Photo: Cuddle Clones.
Getting a good likeness: tips for your photos
The finished slippers can only be as accurate as the pictures you send. A few simple habits help:
- Shoot in daylight near a window rather than with a flash, which flattens features and changes coat colour.
- Get down to your pet's eye level and take a straight-on face shot, plus both side profiles.
- Photograph any marking you care about up close, such as a split-coloured nose or a single white toe, and mention it in the order notes.
- For pets that have died, choose the clearest photos you have and say which features matter most; the designers may ask for more images if the first set is not enough.
Are custom pet slippers worth the price?
At well over the price of ordinary slippers, these are a keepsake rather than a practical purchase. People who buy them usually do so as a gift, a memorial or simply because they adore their animal. If you go ahead, order early before birthdays or holidays, because the standard eight-week creation time plus shipping is easy to underestimate.
One practical point: a dog that loves to chew may see a furry, familiar-smelling slipper as the best toy it has ever been given. Store them out of reach when you are not wearing them.
Sources: Cuddle Clones: Custom plush slippers (product page and FAQ). Photos by the Instagram owners credited under each image and by Cuddle Clones.
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