Used gum stuck on streets, seats, benches, desks, and on public transport is a sticky global problem. Gumshoe transforms this global annoyance into shoes; yes, shoes made from chewing gum. The soles of each Gumshoe are made from recycled chewing gum found on the streets of Amsterdam, thanks to the 1.5 million kilograms of gum that wind up on the streets in the Netherlands each year.
The Gumshoe is a collaboration between I amsterdam, Explicit design, and Gum-Tec. The used gum collected from the streets of Amsterdam is put through the Gum-Tec treatment, which creates the material for the shoes, which are then crafted according to fresh designs from Explicit.
Offered in both a bright bubblegum pink and a more conservative black, the shoes are crafted from premium matt leather with a full leather lining, and embroidered “XXX” on the heel for Amsterdam’s coat of arms. The recycled gum outsole is also a clever homage to the Dutch city as it features a city map of Amsterdam on the bottom.