ripped boots on shocks/struts
 

do these boots really do much? my friend's car has ripped boots and he was considered ripping the boot off entirely. Is this ok or is "garbage" going to damage the shocks/struts?

it prevents dirts/rocks/sand etc from getting into the shock and damaging the piston

i ran my shocks without boots for a few years without any problems.

Don;t have any boots on my coilovers and to be honest they stay relativly clean,i rarly see snow,dirt,greasy crap around them,but their is some so i'm sure it gets in their eventually.