But there's no need to take scuffed boots to the Dumpster. With a bit of patience and the right methods, you likely can have those boots looking good again.
Dave Somers, a buyer of cowgirl and cowboy boots at Drysdales Western Wear in Tulsa, Okla., acknowledges it's difficult to remove scuffs from such footwear. However, if there's one product to use over all others to combat this problem, he says, it would be Bick 4 leather conditioner.
"That's the best overall boot-care product that we have," he explained. "It has some cleaning properties with its good, old-fashioned polish."
"The scuff marks may not completely go away when you use it. It's not a cure-all. But along with a touch-up polish, it'll salvage most of it."
Bick 4 is an all-purpose leather conditioner that won't ruin the color of a boot. And using it regularly also will maintain leather's suppleness and shield it from the elements.
Somers said that with some dark-colored rough boots, especially so-called "distressed" boots, simply rubbing the scuff mark with your fingers will remove it.
"The oils in your finger will usually rub it out," he said. "But that won't work on a smooth-finish boot."
In the case of scuff marks on black boots, Somers said, simply using your usual black shoe polish will do the trick to erase it.