diff --git a/less/breadcrumbs.less b/less/breadcrumbs.less
index 956944a8ba..2f7fb6ddc9 100644
--- a/less/breadcrumbs.less
+++ b/less/breadcrumbs.less
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
   padding: 8px 15px;
   margin: 0 0 @line-height-computed;
   list-style: none;
-  background-color: #f5f5f5;
+  background-color: @breadcrumb-bg-color;
   border-radius: @border-radius-base;
   > li {
     display: inline-block;
-    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 #fff;
+    text-shadow: 0 1px 0 @breadcrumb-text-shadow-color;
     &+li:before {
       display: inline-block;
       content: "/\00a0"; // Unicode space added since inline-block means non-collapsing white-space
diff --git a/less/variables.less b/less/variables.less
index 7ea1042d17..541a38c530 100644
--- a/less/variables.less
+++ b/less/variables.less
@@ -10,13 +10,18 @@
 // Inner Files color variables (can say inline colors)
 // --------------------------------------------------
 
-@color-1:  #e5e5e5; //Mercury, RGB: 229, 229, 229 
+@color-1:  #e5e5e5; //Mercury, RGB: 229, 229, 229
+@color-2:  #fff;    //white, RGB: 255, 255, 255
+@color-3:  #f5f5f5; //Wild Sand, RGB: 245, 245, 245
 
 @accordion-group-border-color:                    @color-1; 
 
 @active-badge-bg-color:                           @color-2; 
 @badge-link-hover-color:                          @color-2; 
 @badge-color:                                     @color-2;
+@breadcrumb-text-shadow-color:                    @color-2; 
+
+@breadcrumb-bg-color:                             @color-3;
 
 // Grays
 // -------------------------