How to remove gum from under your shoes?

There's hardly anything more annoying than having gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. You feel it immediately and with each step it gets further embedded into your sole. Moreover, it’s not something that comes off easily. After a few steps it’s firmly attached. But you can’t just take off your shoes immediately. So what do you do when there’s gum under your shoe? Or what if your children have stepped on gum?

Removing gum from under your shoes

You might try to pick it off. Or even attempt to remove it with your hands. But anyone who’s tried this knows it’s hardly effective. You need to tackle it differently. With something that's specifically suited for removing gum from under your shoes. We explain the 3 best methods you can use.

By the way, we are talking about removing gum, but it could just as well be chewing gum. We use the terms gum and chewing gum interchangeably, just like gummy and chewy. In principle, it’s all correct, and equally annoying to have on your shoes.

Gum on clothing

In some cases, the tips we share below will also work if there’s gum on clothing or anything else. It’s certainly worth a try. If you can loosen the gum with these tips, it becomes easier to remove afterward. You won’t have to try removing it with your hands. Or with a stick, which only takes off little bits, leaving the rest intact.

Three ways to remove gum from under your shoes

Having gum under your shoes is very annoying. Fortunately, you can easily remove it with a few handy tips. It’s especially important to consider the composition of the gum, and how it reacts under different conditions. This makes it a lot easier to clean your shoes when there’s gum stuck to them.

In the freezer or with an ice cube

Start with the freezer. Indeed, you can just put your shoes in the freezer. The downside of gum is that it becomes soft, so when you try to remove it, it stretches and large parts remain on the shoes because it’s not hard enough. By putting your shoes in the freezer, you harden the gum, making it easier to remove afterward. Tip: put a large bag around the shoes to keep the rest of the freezer clean. If your shoes don’t fit in the freezer, you can use an ice cube. Press it against the gum for 10 to 15 minutes to cool it down well.

With WD-40

As you may know, WD-40 is suitable for anything that’s stuck and needs to be loosened. This also applies to gum under your shoes. If you have a can of this, you just need to spray it on the gum. You’ll notice the gum hardens almost immediately. In this way, you create the same effect as with the ice cube or in the freezer. You can just pull the gum off. Afterward, you can use some kitchen paper to clean the shoes completely.

With peanut butter

Lastly, you can use something to make the gum softer, like a bit of peanut butter. It might not sound like the easiest method, but it works very simply. If you smear peanut butter on it, you’ll notice the gum becomes weak, or even soft. It almost comes off by itself, making it much easier to remove from under your shoes.

How to remove gum from under your shoe

The tips for removing gum from your shoes work for Nike and all other brands. If there’s a rubber sole, it will help in most cases to get your shoes clean again.

So, are you ordering new shoes on dressed.com and want to keep them looking good for as long as possible? Or do you just find it annoying to feel something under the soles of your shoes? Use the tips above. And order new shoes from the 100 web stores we collaborate with, so you can step out in style.