Stepping in gum and getting it stuck to your shoe is a major inconvenience that has the ability to ruin your mood. 

Luckily, there are 6 different methods that you can use to easily and effectively remove the gum from the bottom of your shoe. 

Below you will find ways on:

  • How to remove chewing gum from shoes
  • How to get gum off rubber sole shoes
  • How to get gum off sneakers
  • How to get gum off shoes quickly
  • How to get gum off your shoe at school

I found the best way to get gum off shoes is using the freezer method.

These methods may sound quirky, but they are easy to do, and they work!

The first two methods you may use involve freezing the gum so that it becomes easier to peel off. 

Another way to remove the gum is by using every Dad’s favorite household lubricant, WD-40. 

You may also use basic cooking ingredients such as olive oil or peanut butter to help remove that stubborn piece of gum from your shoe.

Finally, if nothing else works, try using a blow dryer to heat up the gum so that it becomes more malleable so that you’re able to remove it with a toothpick or brush. 

Continue reading to see the step-by-step instructions to learn how to remove gum from shoes.

Table of Contents

How to Get Gum Off Shoe

How To Get Gum Off Shoe

Total Time: 2 hr 15 min

Cost: $0

There is nothing worse than getting gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. It makes your shoe bottom feel sticky, creates a big mess, and can be difficult to remove. 

Below, we give you 6 different methods that you can use to get gum off shoe. 

Removing gum from the bottom of your shoe is much easier if the gum is hardened. The easiest way to harden gum is to freeze the shoe in the freezer. 

1. Put shoe in plastic bag

Place the shoe in a large plastic bag.

This is a photo of tall paul putting his shoe with gum on it in a plastic bag

2. Push on gum wad

Make sure the plastic bag is stuck to the gum.

this is a photo of the plastic bag squished onto the gum

3. Put in freezer

Place the entire shoe in the freezer. 

This is a photo of Tall Paul putting his shoe with gum on it and in a plastic bag into the freezer

4. Leave for 2 hours

Let the shoe sit in the freezer for 2 hours. 

This is a photo of a shoe with gum on it being left in a freezer for two hours

5. Take shoe out of bag

Remove the shoe from the freezer and take it out of the plastic bag. The gum should come off the bottom of the shoe as you peel the bag away. 

This is a photo of a shoe with gum on it, having the gum taken off by being left in a freezer

Using Ice Cubes

Total Time: 15 min

Cost: $0

Another way to freeze and harden the gum on the bottom of your shoe is by using an ice cube. This freezing method will only take 10 to 15 minutes to work, as opposed to the 2 hours needed to freeze in the freezer.

1. Get ice cubes

Grab a couple large ice cubes. 

This is a photo of Tall Paul getting ice cubes to feeeze gum off his shoe

2. Put ice in plastic bag

You can place the ice cubes into a plastic bag if you do not want to get the shoe wet. 

This is a photo of tall paul putting the ice cubes into a plastic bag

3. Put ice on gum

Apply the ice cubes to the gum on the bottom of the shoe. Do this for 10-15 minutes. 

This is a photo of tall paul placing the the bagged ice on the gum on his shoes

4. Pick gum off shoe

Once the gum is frozen, use a toothpick or another small tool, to chip away and remove the frozen gum from the shoe. 

This is a photo of tall paul picking the frozen gum off his shoe

Using WD-40

Total Time: 10 min

Cost: $0

WD-40 is a common household product that can be used for almost anything. WD-40 is a lubricant with a range of uses, and one of these uses happens to be gum removal. 

1. Spray the WD-40

Spray the gum and the area around the gum with WD-40. 

This is a photo of WD-40 and the bottom of a shoe with gum on it

2. Wait 1-2 minutes

Give the spray 1 to 2 minutes to settle in and work its magic. 

This is a photo of tall paul spraying the gum on his shoe and waiting 2 minutes

3. Pick - pull - wipe gum

Pull the gum off, pick it with a toothpick, or wipe it with a coarse paper towel. 

This is a photo of tall paul picking the gum off of his shoe with a toothpick

4. Repeat until clean

Repeat this process until the gum is completely removed from the bottom of your shoe. 

This is a photo of a clean shoe with no gum on it anymore

Using Peanut Butter

Total Time: 25 min

Cost: $0

Using peanut butter may sound like a strange solution for removing gum from a shoe, but it works! If you find the gum on the bottom of your shoe to be especially stubborn, try using this hack!

1. Put peanut butter on gum

Take a scoop of peanut butter (smooth peanut butter is best) and completely cover the gum. Use as many scoops as necessary to cover the entire piece of gum. 

This is a photo of tall paul putting peanut butter on the gum on his shoe

2. Let sit for 20 minutes

Let the peanut butter sit on the gum for 20 minutes.

This is a photo of a shoe with gum and peanut butter on it

3. Scrape gum off

Use a spoon or wire brush to scrape the peanut butter and gum off of the outsole of the shoe. 

This is a photo of tall paul scraping the gum and peanut butter off his shoe

Using Olive Oil

Total Time: 10 min

Cost: $0

Olive oil is a common cooking ingredient that most households have in stock. Olive oil is a great solution to use when trying to get gum off shoes. 

1. Pour olive oil into a bowl

Pour some olive oil in a bowl and dab a kitchen cloth in it. 

This is a photo of tall paul pouring olive oil into a bowel

2. Apply oil to the gum

Apply the oil to the gum and let it soak in for 1-2 minutes.

This is a photo of tall paul dabbing olive oil onto the gum on the bottom of his shoe

3. Remove the gum

Use a toothpick or brush to remove the gum from the shoe.

This is a photo of tall paul picking the gum off his shoe with a toothpick

Using Blow Dryer

Total Time: 20 min

Cost: $0

If the gum on the bottom of your shoe is too hard to remove, you can soften it up using a blow dryer. Blow dryers are another common household item that is great for helping to remove gum from shoes.

1. Turn on blow dryer

Turn the blow dryer on to the highest heat and wind settings. 

This is a photo of tall paul turning on the blow dryer

2. Put heat on the gum

Aim the blow dryer directly at the gum. 

This is a photo of tall paul pointing the blow dryers hot air onto the gum

3. Pick at the heated gum

Use a toothpick or a knife to try to peel off the gum as you heat it up. 

This is a photo of tall paul picking at the heated gum with a tooth pick

4. Repeat until gone

Heat the gum until it peels off easily. 

This is a photo of tall paul holding his clean shoe with no gum on it

Check out our other articles on making sure you have clean kicks day-after-day.

Don’t forget about your laces!

FAQ

Rubbing alcohol will break gum down so that it is able to be removed from the bottom off a shoe. Pour some rubbing alcohol onto a kitchen towel or directly onto the gum. Allow the liquid to soak into the gum for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then remove using a towel, toothpick, or wire brush.

Vinegar, lemon juice, and any other liquid with a high level of acidity will help to dissolve chewing gum. Rubbing alcohol and WD-40 are also good tools to use when trying to disolve chewing gum.

Depending on what type of surface the gum is stuck to, you may try to use olive oil, WD-40, the freezer, an ice cube, rubbing alcohol, a blow dryer, peanut butter, vinegar, or lemon juice, to help remove sticky gum. 

WD-40 is effective at removing gum from shoes. Spray WD-40 directly onto the gum, as well as the areas around it. Let the WD-40 soak into the gum for 1 to 2 minutes, and then use a toothpick or wire brush to help remove the gum from the outsole.