Q & A: An Interview With Shoe Gummi Founder Shantel Jackson
The first outer-sole pad and the only outer-sole proven to prevent foot discomfort caused by high heels
For the ladies that know about high heel shoe pain, we can all relate. There’s no pain like it. And the irony is, sometimes flat shoes can be more painful than high heel shoes. But, back to high heels. Model, reality star, inventor, and entrepreneur Shantel Jackson decided to do something about high heel pain. She created the brand Shoe Gummi, out of an addiction to heels, 500 pairs to be exact. The Platinum Life star (from E! Entertainment) created the first outer-sole pad and the only outer-sole proven to prevent foot discomfort caused by high heels.
Shoe Gummi was birthed like a lot of brands, with Shantel feeling like there wasn’t any quality insoles on the market. She tried everything and created her own prototype, testing it on her heels. By getting the design just right, she has created a solution of relief and painlessness to women everywhere.
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Seele Magazine: What was the ah-ha moment when you said enough is enough, and you wanted to create a product that was easier on women to wear high heels?
Shantel Jackson: Come to think of it, I’ve had several ah-ha moments leading up to creating Shoe Gummi — from wearing heels day in and day out and experiencing pain with no solution on the market, to friends complaining about their heels and wanting to cut girls’ night short, to finally having a stare-down with a pair of heels and going over and over in my head what could make them more comfortable. Finally, I thought maybe applying something on the outside bottom of the ball of the foot would help — and the first idea for Shoe Gummi was born. My love for heels and my need for them to be more comfortable had me determined.
It hit me so many times: this is what we, as women, quietly tolerate. Heels — something that’s meant to make us feel more powerful, strong, beautiful, and confident — were also the very thing cutting nights short, giving us attitudes, and making us not want to wear them again. That didn’t sit right with me. I’ve always loved high heels: the craftsmanship, the elegance, the posture they give you. But I also know the ache that comes with them, and those moments were the turning point. I wanted to make something that allowed women to enjoy every outing without being forced to compromise.
SM: Did you find the process from first thought of creating your actual product, to launching the brand daunting?
SJ: Daunting, yes — but deeply rewarding. Innovation has a way of testing patience. There were moments of doubt and times when I wondered if it was possible to bring this vision to life. The path from a rubber experiment on a shoemaker’s bench to a patented product was long. I spent five and a half years refining the design and went through a two-and-a-half-year patent process that included an “obviousness” rejection before securing protection in 2017.
We moved from early rough prototypes to hundreds of computer-aided 3D designs and lab testing collaborations. Those pauses and returns to the drawing board were at times painful, but they were the work of getting it right.
SM: What did it take to make sure you had the perfect product ready for the market?
SJ: It took precision and lab testing. I partnered with a lab testing facility that understood both form and function and also knew body mechanics and materials science. I also worked with the research lab to stabilize the outer sole, and along the way we refined the silhouette — moving from a product with square edges that created instability to a rounded profile that made the design more stable and comfortable.
For me, it was not about speed to market; it was about integrity. Every curve, every texture, and every layer had to serve a purpose. The goal was simple: create something that feels invisible but transforms the experience completely.
SM: What was the testing process like?
SJ: Very hands-on and very real. We not only tested in a lab environment but in the real world. I wore prototypes everywhere: on red carpets, on set, at dinners, while traveling — and just because. I needed to overly test the product with one pair of shoes, and I walked over 100 miles over the course of a few months. Friends also tested them. We paid attention to how the body felt after hours in motion — the pressure points, the alignment, the fatigue.
We also brought in outside expertise. I connected with an orthopedic surgeon who took x-rays of a foot in five-inch heels with and without our outer sole attached. The imaging showed measurable relief to the forefoot and improved postural alignment. In collaboration with a research lab, we refined materials and structure, using shock-absorbing EVA foam, anti-slip ridges, and a durable adhesive that held even after extensive wear. When everything finally balanced — when you could stand taller, walk longer, and still feel light — I knew we had created something great.
SM: There are several high heel products that all say they take away the pain. What makes Shoe Gummi unique to what’s on the market?
SJ: Shoe Gummi is the only product of its kind and stands in a lane of its own! Even with knockoffs currently on the market, they don’t stand up to our originality, precision, and quality.
When you wear heels with Shoe Gummi, you feel the difference immediately. Our weight-shifting outer-sole technology doesn’t simply add padding — it redistributes pressure, stabilizes alignment, and protects the foot at its foundation. It’s lab-tested, heat- and wear-resistant, and built to move naturally with your body. The adhesive stays strong after 100 miles of wear, and the design preserves the silhouette of your heel — something that interior pads can’t achieve.
But Shoe Gummi has grown beyond one invention. The brand now offers a full comfort ecosystem — inner-sole Gummis for extra cushioning, toe separators that improve circulation, gel inserts for shock absorption, straps that prevent friction, and dots that protect pressure points. Each product solves a real problem women face every day in heels, all with the same level of precision and quality that started with the original Gummi.
What separates Shoe Gummi from the rest isn’t only the innovation but the integrity behind it. Every texture, curvature, and material was designed with intention — to work with the body rather than against it. Knockoffs might look similar, but they don’t feel the same, because they lack the testing, the craftsmanship, and the care.
Shoe Gummi is the original because it was created from experience, not imitation. I built it to give women their confidence back — to let them stand taller, move freely, and feel like themselves again. That purpose is in every single product we make, and it’s something that can’t be replicated.
Shantel placed rubber on the outside of a heel near the ball of the foot, which allows for immediate relief | Shoe Gummi Pointed $35
SM: It’s interesting that your gummies are applied on the outside of the shoe, where most are applied inside. What led to this discovery as this being the best application?
SJ: It began with experimentation. With insoles making shoes too tight, I thought the outside bottom of the shoe had more room to play around with — so I placed rubber on the outside of a heel near the ball of the foot and felt immediate relief. I began taking pairs, sometimes thirty a week, to a shoemaker to have that rubber fixed permanently. That hands-on process, paired with clinical imaging and feedback from an orthopedic consultant, confirmed that the external application shifted weight and alignment before it reached the foot.
That outside placement allowed us to keep the silhouette and integrity of the shoe while making it function more intelligently. In design, that was the moment I realized we had not only improved comfort but actually changed the shoe’s relationship to the body.
SM: What's the brand’s largest market? What is the brand’s largest market outside of the US?
SJ: The United States is where our foundation is strongest. Women here are living dynamic, full lives and want products that move with them. Internationally, we’ve seen real excitement in Canada, the UK, and Europe. All over the world, women see heels as both art and expression. They appreciate the detail, the story, and the craft. Shoe Gummi connects with that mindset — it’s as much about the feeling as it is about the form.
SM: Are there any recent launches or exciting upcoming news?
SJ: Yes, and it feels like such a full-circle moment. We’re expanding the Shoe Gummi universe this holiday season with two new additions that carry the same DNA as our original innovation.
We’re introducing our luxury comfort socks, designed with layered cushioning that supports and breathes with the body. They’re soft yet structured — created to feel like a second skin while offering the same kind of balance and relief that made Shoe Gummi what it is. Alongside them, we’re launching our memory-foam slippers. They’re plush, long-lasting, and beautifully made. Most slippers lose their softness after a few wears; ours hold their shape and their support.
Both launches reflect what I’ve always wanted Shoe Gummi to represent: comfort that doesn’t ask you to compromise style. They’re built for women who move through their days with purpose and deserve to feel good every step of the way.
SM: Anything else you want to say about the brand?
SJ: I am consistently on a mission to find the next comfort products to add to my growing family of amazing products. My goal is to have a network of innovations that address and help all types of problems when it comes to feet — and beyond.
