Can the Army force you to buy new uniforms?

Is there someone you know that will let you "borrow" a newer pair for a few weeks? Or is there somewhere nearby where you might be able to find a good used pair?
Most importantly, don't let this become a big issue. You want to leave on a positive note. Explain to your Squad Leader that you are trying to find a cost effective solution but may need a little time to come up with something. In the mean time, scrub you old ones as best as you can to show effort.
As for the question of "would I force a SM who is short to buy a brand new pair of boots?". Not in a million years.

Ask him to have your supply ADO you some boots. When they say no, tell them you need an MFR to DX them. By the time this fails, you should be on terminal leave.

Tell that douche your order is in with supply already and he can take up all that buying shit with them

Hard to answer that. If you were getting out in two weeks should you be required to get a haircut if not in standards?

Can you be forced to ___________? These questions always entertain me. Was the order lawful? If the answer to that question is yes, then yes you can be forced to do it. Now as to the other question as to if I would order someone with 60 days left in the Army to buy new boots, depends on the soldier.

If I had a soldier that was squared away and never gave me any problems, did what needed to be done even without being told, uniform and appearance always beyond the standards, heck no I would let Snuffy skate his last 60 days. On the other hand, if I had a soldier that always looked like his uniform was just drug out of a duffel bag, needed to constantly be told to get a hair cut, had to be told to do every minute detail of a task, could not be counted on for anything, and I was constantly writing counseling statements on? Yeah, I would make him buy a pair of boots a couple of months before his ETS date.

So in answer to your question, which soldier are you?

BLUF, Yes, your Squad leader can order you to replace your boots. Without seeing your boots, I cannot determine if they are unserviceable, but for him to really notice the scuff, it must be glaring. You are a Soldier until the day you sign out, have a DD214 in hand, and your terminal leave is over. Until then, you can be recalled at any time. Ever heard of a thing called stop loss. Anything can happen between now and your ETS date that would prevent you separating from the service - case in point, On November 10th 2001, no one thought anything would happen that would require our Military to act, 24 hours later, our entire world changed.

Ok, to be blunt? The amount of time that a soldier has left in is irrelevant as to how their uniform appears. You are in the army from the time you sign the contract to the time that you receive your DD214 and/or complete your irr/reserve time to complete your initial 8 years.

Now as to your boots, it depends on how bad and just how deep the scuff marks are on the boots. Most can be rehabilitated with a good, thorough clearning using KIWI boot cleaner and then follow it up with ordinary toothpaste for the more stubborn scuff, then reapply boot wax.

Your argument about your clothing allowance is irrelevant as the allowance is never enough to replace all your uniforms but there is still a standard. Sometimes you do have to dip into your own pocket for items of wear.

Try to talk to your SQL about the situation. If they are intractable then go up your chain of command. It IS what it is there for, to be utilized. Worse comes to worst you go to a surplus store and buy a cheap pair of standard issue boots and shine them up.

Short answer is yes, you can be forced to buy a new pair of boots but there are ways to delay this for a bit.

Check your local Walmart near post. They have boots there that meet AR 670-1 standards $44 plus tax.

YES!

I get you don’t want new boots. But two maybe three years from now you will pull everything out of the bag knock the dust off and be pissed those are the only boots you have to look at for the rest of your life. Buying new boots is temporary just spend the money and set the example.