While gum may be fun to chew on, when disposed on city streets it becomes a costly form of garbage that requires a lot of time, effort and money to remove. In the Netherlands 1.5 million kilos of gum are tossed on the street each year, making it the second most common form of litter after cigarettes.
Gumdrop, a London-based company offering solutions to gum pollution, has created the first ever shoe featuring recycled chewing gum, taken from the streets of the city.
“We discovered gum is made from a synthetic rubber. And by breaking down these properties, we were able to create a new type of rubber,” explained Anna Bullus, who is the managing director and designer at Gumdrop.
Featuring a black or pink leather upper, the sole of the shoe is what’s composed of chewing gum and the color of the shoe is–wait for it–bubblegum pink. Further driving home the concept of gum pollution as a city-specific issue, there’s a map of Amsterdam stamped on the sole. For added humor, the back of the outsole is stamped with the word “gumshoe,” a play we presume on the concept of gum sole.
Priced at 200 euros, the shoes are now available for pre-order at gumshoe.amsterdam and will ship in June 2018.
The firs
