For instance, as an occasional walker around the city, I have had several instances too when I get a gum stuck at the bottom of my shoe. Worse still, your shoes may end up wet or damaged after a chewing gum scraping process or when you rub the gooey substance with some water. What if, on top of removing chewing gum off your shoes, you did not have wetness issues as well? This would eliminate a big burden from your back.

Forget about removing gum from shoes with a pair of our Vessi shoes! For a quick and simple solution to the popular gum on shoe problem, we suggest putting on a pair of these 100% waterproof marvels. Not only will they keep your feet bone dry, but our Vessi shoes are also a perfect blend of style and comfort, with plenty of cushioning and support.

But that is not all; our Vessi shoes are equally designed to be environmentally friendly and can be worn for a relaxed walk or even for exercising. Be it city chewing gum or a simple requirement for a decent shoe to use all day, Vessi is the answer!

But if you already have another pair of shoes that require gum removal, then you should know some techniques that can help remove chewing gum on your shoes. Well guess what? With our methods, no worries even if the chewing gum is newly applied on the clothing or if it has been on there for days already. Dive in!

How to Remove Gum from Shoes

Chewing gum is supposed to be sticky and thus getting rid of it after it has fallen on a shoe is something you will never look forward to. There are several ways you can follow the moment that you decided that the gum stuck on your shoes has to be removed. But depending on your shoe design, one of the methods may pose more problems hence the need to apply the right method.

1. Freeze the Gum

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One mundane way of eliminating chewing gum from shoes is by freezing the material. It is one of the easiest, hassle-free projects and all you have to do is freeze the flowers in a plastic bag. Once you have these common household items, follow this step-by-step guide:

1. Put the whole shoe into the plastic bag. No, you don’t need a new plastic bag, but it needs to be clean. In the absence of a large plastic bag, make sure gum-infested portion is in the bag and apply pressure on the outside bag.

2. Place the bag over the sticky gum part and press it for a few seconds, And this is important since pressing the bag determines the effectiveness of the process.

3. Place your bag-covered shoe in the freezer for about one to two hours. Low temperature will aid in the process of freezing the chewing gum and bonding it to the plastic bag.

4. When it is done, take your shoe out of the freezer and try to scrape off the gum that has solidified.

5. Make sure you leave the plastic bag in the freezer for long enough as the longer the gum is in the freezer, the easier it will be to remove from the shoes.

2. Ice Cube

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Another simple technique involves the use of ice cube and requires an ice cube, a plastic bag and a putty knife.

1. Place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag.

2. Put your ice bag on the gum which is still hard to remove and do not let the ice cubes penetrate your shoe and wet it.

3. With regard to the sticky mess, one should apply the ice cubes on it pressing them until they become frozen because one can remove chewing gum when it is completely frozen.

4. When your gum is hard, you can peel it by using a butter knife, a flat spoon or a dull knife and then remove it from the shoe.

3. WD-40

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Like in the freezer method, WD-40 aims to free up stuck things by applying solvents and lubricants to the stuck object. Nonetheless, WD-40 is not recommended for use on suede and porous absorbent items, as while the oil will remove gum from shoes, the material itself will be stained/blackened.

However, once you remove chewing gum with WD-40, you should make sure that you rinse your shoes as the ingredients of WD-40 could adversely affect the plastic and rubber materials of the shoes.

Before carrying out this method of removing chewing gum, you will require a paper towel and a spray bottle. Then, follow the following steps:

1. Spray the WD-40 on the chewing gum that is stuck on the sole of the shoe and not on the entire shoe.

2. Let it sit for several minutes to help to ease the stickiness of the chewing gum.

3. When WD-40 spray has adhered the chewing gum, they should use a paper towel and wipe off the hardened gum from the sole of a shoe.

4. If the rag is still stained black, spray the mixture again and using the rag to wipe off any stains that are left behind after the spraying.

4. Peanut Butter

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Another example of household item that you can use is peanut butter and a wire brush. The oil in the peanut butter will make the chewing gum less sticky and harden it to enable you get off gum on your shoes.

1. Use about 2 tablespoons or more in order to spread a thick layer of it.

2. Spread peanut butter on the gum and allow it to remain in that state for more than 10 minutes.

3. You will then use your wire brush to wipe the gum and peanut butter from your shoe.

4. Scrub along the sole's grooves and not against them to avoid damaging them.

5. Place your shoe below a water faucet with the sole side facing up and wash it carefully to scrub the creamy peanut butter from the sole.

5. Olive Oil

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Another way to soften the chewing gum is by applying olive oil to the sole, although other sections of the shoe may suffer the consequences. For this part of the experiment, you will require olive oil from your kitchen, a spoon that has a pointed end and a paper towel.

Chewing gum base contains plastic or rubbery materials with oils that provide chewiness; nevertheless, if its content contains excess oil, it becomes detrimental to the stickiness of the chewing gum. This method is almost the same as the peanut butter one and is ideal if you do not have it. However, olive oil should not be used on suede and leather shoes since it will stain.

1. Massage the stuck gum with olive oil and wait for a few minutes will help the gum to become less sticky.

2. To remove gum from the shoes, use a paper towel or any absorbent cloth.

3. If the chewing gum is still stuck to your shoe, put the pointy tool in the olive oil. The dipping is required since it protects your shoe from being messed up.

4. Continue scraping the chewing gum with the pointy tool until you end up with no chewing gum left.

6. Hair Dryer

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If you do not wish to harden the gum then you can do the opposite that is soften the already set gum with heat from the hair drier.

1. Take the hair dryer and point it to the gum which is stuck then turn on the heater.

2. Use a butter knife or a spoon to determine the given chewing gum’s consistency.

3. When the gum becomes pliable and no longer has a tacky bond, remove it.

4. Last of all, wipe it with another paper to remove any remaining residue.

7. Stick and Sand

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For this method, you will need a stick and sand. This is ideal for those working, travelling, or walking on the streets to get rid of fresh gum. As said before the dry sand functions like a high end scrub to your sole’s shoe, it may take time but the exercise can be done anywhere there is dry sand.

Although the sand is not harmful per se, you need to be cautious since you inadvertently rub it on the shoe fabric.

1. Take off your shoe and sprinkle some dry sand over the stuck chewing gum.

2. Use your stick to rub the sand deep into the gum to break it into small pieces.

3. Keep adding dry sand and rubbing the gum until you remove it.

4. Rub the gum quickly and continuously remove it to avoid it becoming dry, making it harder to get gum off the shoe.

8. Dissolve Chewing Gum

There are a number of things that can be used to help remove chewing gum that has stuck on the shoe. For example, you may require lighter fluid and a piece of cloth or rag. The fluid that is used in the lighter is called the lighter fluid which is also known as naphtha. Due to the fact that it is a flammable liquid, avoid using it in a closed area and do not use it near places that the heat is produced.

You may also use nail polish remover as it is more accessible, but apply a little amount of this solution on the skin and see how your skin reacts. This is due to the fact that nail polish remover contains some form of impurities which are know to cause staining and damaging of shoes.

1. Find a rag or a piece of cloth and dip it into the lighter fluid.

2. Rub the cloth in the stuck gum, and the chewing gum will start dissolving away.

Conclusion on How to Remove Gum from Shoes

As you could learn from our article, it is always possible to remove gum from your shoes without running into extra trouble. Using the above explained methods, you can bid farewell to gum stuck on the bottom of your shoe and welcome cleanness on the sole.

However, if you are more traditional, there are still classic gum removal ways, or if you are more creative, here are some ways to remove gum from shoes that may stick with you. And in case of any situation where all fails, always carry with you a splendid spare pair of our Vessi shoes especially when the roads are gum-covered.