# Best way to remove chewining gum for sneaker sole
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 2, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632 "2008-08-02T20:40:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/1 "2008-08-02T20:40:22Z")
I stepped into a wad of it at the gas pump which didn’t make paying $4.16/gallon
any more pleasant.
I put the sneaker in a (big) plastic bag, and into the freezer over night.
Tried getting it off today w1th a scraper, then tried rubbing it off with Brillo. Neither worked very well.
Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/2 "2008-08-02T20:45:56Z")
Try WD-40.
> **[How to Remove Gum from Your Shoes | DoItYourself.com](https://www.doityourself.com/stry/chewinggum)**
>
> A wad of gum stuck to your shoe doesn't have to be a pain to get off.
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### Author:  [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/3 "2008-08-02T20:57:20Z")
[QUOTE=x-ray vision]
Try WD-40.
> **[How to Remove Gum from Your Shoes | DoItYourself.com](https://www.doityourself.com/stry/chewinggum)**
>
> A wad of gum stuck to your shoe doesn't have to be a pain to get off.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks. I’ll get some and will try it.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/4 "2008-08-03T05:28:03Z")
“Goo-Gone” is made just for those sorts of things. It is better than WD-40 for this.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/5 "2008-08-03T05:44:23Z")
The gum if smeared across a sole needs to be _real_ cold to stay brattle enough to chip off. Within moments of being taken from the fridge I’m sure the gum film lost it’s brittleness. Get a thin bladed screwdriver, a paper towel and and some ice cubes. Grab a cube with the paper towel and press the cube firmly right down on the area you wish to chill for 30 seconds or so them immediately put the screwdriver to it.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/6 "2008-08-03T06:14:16Z")
Peanut butter.
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### Author:  [@protruding\_cobblestone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protruding_cobblestone)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/7 "2008-08-03T09:01:25Z")
Don’t try to get gum out with a bone. It only makes things worse.
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### Author:  [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/8 "2008-08-03T09:41:27Z")
The custodians at my high school used to turn one of those air duster cans upside down, and spray that directly onto the gum.
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### Author:  [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/9 "2008-08-03T21:59:43Z")
I asked my wife to get some WD-40 at the suggestion of **x-ray vision** , and it worked superbly!! (This was before **DrDeth** mentioned Goo-Gone.)
My thanks to everyone, and especially to **x-ray**.
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### Author:  [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-remove-chewining-gum-for-sneaker-sole/458632/10 "2008-08-04T03:10:06Z")
Mods, I wouldn’t mind if you closed this thread.