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How to Remove Scuff Marks from Rubber Shoes

Rubber shoes are a delight to own. They are durable, easy to maintain, trendy, and affordable. Their moisture-resistant quality also makes them a good choice in rainy seasons. However, they easily get scuff marks for different reasons. It’s annoying to see scuff marks on rubber shoes, especially if they’re a new pair.

How do you remove scuff marks from rubber shoes? One popular method of doing this is using toothpaste to scrub away the mark. The method works pretty well on new and old scuff marks. This method and others will require a bit of elbow grease but usually, it’s worth it.

10 Methods for Removing Scuff Marks from Leather Shoes

We will discuss 10 highly effective and proven methods for removing scuff marks from your rubber shoes. These methods work very quickly. They are also cheap and the step by step guides are easy to follow. Let’s take a look at them.

1. Rub in Some Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly or Vaseline does a great job of removing scuff marks from rubber shoes.

Ensure that the shoes are clean and free of grime. Rub in some petroleum jelly on the area of the mark. Use a soft cloth to rub it deeper.

Ensure to clean off the excess jelly afterward. The scuff marks will be off in no time.

2. The Popular Toothpaste Method

This is very popular and effective. Make sure you have cleaned off dirt from your shoes because dirt can make the situation worse.

Apply a thick smear of toothpaste to the marks and use a soft toothbrush to scrub it in. Repeat as many times as needed and wipe off excess paste.

3. The Rubber Eraser Method

If you have a rubber eraser, you can use it to get scuff marks off your shoes. Simply rub it deeply into the area that has been marked. Put your elbows into this one. You’ll surely see the changes.

4. Use Hand Sanitizer

If you don’t have hand sanitizer, you can make use of rubbing alcohol. This method works very well for black leather shoes as well. Apply the hand sanitizer on the marks and gently rub them in.

5. Apply Nail Polish Remover

Sometimes, you don’t need more than a nail polish remover to get the scuff marks off. Put some nail polish on a cotton ball and use it to rub on the marks carefully.

Ensure that your fingernails are trimmed when you’re rubbing your shoes. Sharp fingernails can cause more scuff marks.

6. Use Essential Oil (Most of them Work!)

Most of the essential oils work well on scuff marks. Eucalyptus, lavender, and the rest of them will help you erase scuff marks with ease.

As always, make sure you don’t have dirt or grime on your shoes before you do any rubbing and application. Use a soft piece of cloth to get the oil into the shoes properly.

7. The Baking Soda Method

Just how versatile is the baking soda? Very! The baking soda has all manner of uses in the kitchen and out of it. To use this method, follow these simple steps.

  • Create the baking soda paste by mixing 1 to 2 spoons of warm water with some baking soda.
  • Ensure that the paste is slightly thick.
  • Using a soft cloth, apply the paste to the scuff marks.
  • Rub in gently.
  • Rub off excess baking soda paste and wipe off the shoes.

8. Use Shoe Wipes

Ever heard of shoe wipes? They’re great for getting scuff marks off. Purchase shoe wipes and use them to detect scuff marks early.

9. Polish Up!

You can simply polish your shoes if the marks are not too deep. Using the shoe polish of the right color will get scuff marks off your shoes.

If the scuff marks are deep, however, you’ll have to go with any of the other methods that have been explained.

10. Magic Eraser Method

If you have stubborn scuff marks, it may be time to get the magic eraser out. You can buy if you don’t have one at home. Simply dampen the eraser and rub on the shoes. If nothing else removes the scuff marks, this will.

How Scuff Marks Get on Rubber Shoes

Scuff Marks are at the very least, unsightly. They can distract you from feeling confident about your dressing when you wear them.

In order to understand how to get them away from your shoes, you should get a quick knowledge of how they got there in the first place.

Here are some of the ways scuff marks get on your rubber shoes.

1. Walking and Bumping into Things

This is the most common way by which scuff marks get on your shoes. Constantly bumping into things, especially heavy and hard objects like walls, chairs, tables, car tires, etc., can draw marks on your shoes.

Rushing off to work and bumping into people or having a sharp or heavy object drop on your shoes is also a common cause. Basically, your shoes will get scuff marks if they keep hitting things.

2. Rubber Shoes Can Get Scuff Marks During Transit/Delivery

If you prefer ordering your shoes online, damages can occur during shipping. This is usually due to poor or inadequate packaging.

Sometimes, it’s because heavy objects were placed on the shoes during transit. This reason is not something you can easily control.

3. Using them to do Dirty Jobs

If you often use your rubber shoes to do dirty jobs around the house, you’re bound to get marks on them. Duties like gardening, clearing the yard, or even looking for something in a jam-packed basement aren’t ideal for rubber shoes.

Except you’re ready to deal with the scuff marks or you just don’t care about the shoes, don’t use them.

4. Poor Maintenance

If your rubber shoes are poorly maintained, you can also get scuff marks on them. Leaving dirt and grime on shoes is not ideal. You should always clean your shoes and keep them properly stored.

How Can You Prevent Scuff Marks on Your Shoes?

After taking off scuff marks from your shoes, you should do everything possible to prevent them from coming back. You can achieve that by doing any of the following.

Remove Scuff Marks from Rubber Shoes

  • Avoid doing dirty jobs with your rubber outing shoes. You should get the right shoes for gardening or other types of work, not your classy outing shoes.
  • Keeping your shoes well polished can also help you prevent scuff marks.
  • Use protection spray on your shoes. Protection sprays are available at the cobbler’s workshop or online. They can help keep scuff marks away for a long time.
  • Carry shoe wipes with you. This way, you’ll be able to clean off scuff marks when they’re still new.
  • Finally, take care of how you walk. If you really care about those shoes, avoid bumping them on hard surfaces.

How Do I Remove Scuff Marks from Dark Leather Boots?

If you’re concerned about your dark leather boots, there are many ways you can remove scuff marks from them. Any of the methods that we described above will work pretty well.

Applying rubbing alcohol is a popular and effective way of removing scuff marks from black leather shoes. If that doesn’t work well enough, you can look into any of the other methods.

Conclusion & Final Note

As beautiful as rubber shoes can be, they’re notorious for getting scratched too easily. You don’t want a pesky scuff mark to alter your good looks. Whether you’re going to the office or a party, you should avoid looking rough at all costs.

Use any of our above methods to take care of your rubber shoes and prevent these annoying marks. Keep looking good!

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