Image 9: A scratch and a black spot. There's a black spot on the lower right of the loop for the string. I don't want you to think it's just the texture of the material, so I'm pointing it out just in case. You can definitely see the scratch. Images 10-13: Without the string. There's rust around the metal fittings. It's worse on the back. I brushed it off, but... I think you could remove more of it if you were more patient, not just brushing but targeting specific spots. You can see it's also on the surrounding areas. Image 14: The string. It's all worn out when untied. And, as you can imagine, it's been rubbing against the metal fittings, so it's colored in various places. Green, you know. If you don't like it, I think you should just replace it. Images 17-20: The back. As you can see, it hasn't been worn much. The bumps on the outermost part of the heel are worn down, but for the most part, the rest is barely noticeable. If you're interested, please consider it.