The squeak in my boots gradually lessened, until it wasn't there at all. The soles aren't very scuffed, either; much less than they would be post-sandpaper, at least.

How can you stop shoes from squeaking? OK, so now you know that you’re not hallucinating those squeaky sounds—and you’re certainly not the only one for whom loud shoes are a thing.

There's a whole host of potential reasons for this embarrassing sound, but the good news is that you can save your shoes.