kittys pads

Question
i have a cat that is an outdoor cat and recently we have noticed that the pads on his back feet are cracked and are turning black.  recently, he has started to walk with us on our nightly walks and we walk mostly on the side of the road.  is this something that we need to be concerned about?

Answer
His pads are toughing up from walking on pavement or asphalt. The pigmentation is from the same thing and possible picking up some stain from the road.

I sure hope he is on a leash. It only takes one car to scare him the wrong way into the road.
If his pads start to bleed then there is something on the roads that is burning them. You might want to walk him on the sidewalks or in the dirt.