THESE GUM SOLE SNEAKERS ARE RETRO IN THE RIGHT MEASURE

White gum sole sneakers are some of the most popular. The clean upper combines naturally with the neutral brown hue of the gum—it’s a formula that adidas has been perfecting for decades and one that forms much of the bedrock of adidas Originals’s contemporary popularity.

When Rudolf Dassler left his brother’s burgeoning adidas brand in 1948, he took with him all of the same experience as his sibling. It tracks, then, that over the next 50 or so years, the two labels fought head to head, releasing footwear that followed the exact same values and visuals. Pairs like the PUMA Palermo Sneakers therefore present a natural alternative to silhouettes like the adidas Samba, which the scene is growing weary of.

Gucci sneakers almost exclusively stick to retro aesthetics, and the Screener Sneakers are no exception. It’s one of the reasons that gum sole sneakers are so prevalent in the label’s collections.

While the adidas Gazelle Indoor silhouette has had a lot of airtime in recent years, the original Gazelle has been in its shadow. It means that in 2024, while many grow tired of the Gazelle Indoor, the Gazelle is propelled forward thanks to its bold color palettes and classic gum sole credentials that come without all the hype.

The SUNNEI Dreamy Sneaker has been a staple in the Italian brand’s collections for a handful of seasons now. The big, almost cartoonish sole unit brings out a playful angle to the classic, understated silhouette. Add a strip of color in the form of a gum outsole and the Dreamy Sneaker becomes even more wearable.

While the Lanvin Curb comes in many colorways, all of them are underpinned by a signature gum sole. When skating took off in California, brands like Vans that offered gum sole shoes became favored because of their grip. The Lanvin Curb nods to a long legacy of skate shoes, but particularly those from the ’00s.

Wind the clock back to 1976, when players in the NBA weren’t sporting high-tech, ergonomic footwear designed scientifically to improve jumping, turning, and support. That’s not to say that they hadn’t optimized what they had, though. Pairs like the Converse Star Player featured canvas uppers for lightweight breathability and gum soles for maximum traction on the hardwood.

Nowadays, with such a long history behind it, the gum sole can feel like a default for sneakers: like a blank canvas. This is put to practice by brands like A.P.C., which favor minimalism over bold detailing and therefore regularly turn to white gum sole sneakers to prop up their seasonal rotation.

With a slim and streamlined upper, Isabel Marant’s Beth Sneakers eschew any grand gestures by way of embellishments for a soft, suede upper with velcro fastening. As they are, the luxury fabrics and neutral palette underline the versatility of the silhouette.

Spalwart sneakers are all born from long research into sneaker history. The Smash Low sneakers take after a long line of understated exercise shoes originally designed for military use in the twentieth century. Now finished with luxury nappa leather uppers and an improved vulcanized sole unit, they’re more refined than they once were.