Originally introduced as a patented outer-sole designed to ease the discomfort of high heels, the patented high-heel comfort solution now has an expanded lineup that includes Gummi Dots, Gummi Straps, Gummi Inserts, Toe Gummi, Arch Gummi, Luxe Slippers, and Comfort Socks, a strategic shift that underscores Jackson’s goal of building what she describes as a “well-rounded foot comfort powerhouse.”
And for Jackson, Shoe Gummi’s origin story started from her relentless love of heels.
“My love for high heels is how Shoe Gummi started,” said Jackson. “I like to joke and say it’s a love, but it’s really my obsession. When I put on a pair of heels, I feel like it’s really who I am.”
Source: @haanstreet
Frustrated by the lack of comfort and solutions for everyday heel wear, she conceived the idea in 2009 and spent several years in research, development, and patenting before bringing the product to fruition.
“I had my ‘aha’ moment of, ‘What can I put on the bottom of the shoe?’… and then boom, that first idea of Shoe Gummi happened,” said Jackson.shantel jackson
“That phase of doing product research and development was honestly about five to six years before even going to market.”
Source: @haanstreet
The brand’s expansion focuses on practical solutions, addressing everything from tight straps to fit issues.
That comfort-first concept is gaining traction across fashion and entertainment, with Shoe Gummi recently partnering with the Miss Universe Organization as an endurance sponsor, reinforcing its relevance in high-heeled environments.
“These women are always in heels, so the partnership just made sense for us,” Jackson told BOSSIP. “We’re helping the delegates get along in the pageants that they’re competing in.”
In addition to being a high-heel comfort connoisseur, Jackson has added storytelling to her skill set. She currently Let’s Get Down to Business, a YouTube Vlog that’s a candid, cinema-style glimpse into the day-to-day demands of entrepreneurship, from campaign creation to company challenges, capturing the unfiltered ebb and flow of building a brand.
Source: Let’s Get Down To Business
“I live, breathe, eat my business,” she told BOSSIP. “If people really follow me. I’m pretty sure they want to know behind the scenes of how I’m dealing with the business, dealing with tariffs, campaign shoots, hiring people, firing people, what’s not working.”
The series serves as both documentation and demystification, peeling back the polished perception of entrepreneurship to reveal its real-time realities.
As the company continues to grow, Jackson’s definition of success has shifted from hustling solo to strategic support.
“Right now, what defines success is having a good team behind me,” she told BOSSIP. “In the beginning, it was me doing everything and being spread thin, but now having a team that takes a lot of that weight off allows me to keep building, creating new products and growing the brand into the comfort powerhouse I want it to be.”
She added that creative control remains key to her evolution as a founder.
“Having that creative process is very important to me, with our launches, our photo shoots, our next drops,” she said. “I get to move and shake and be creative how I need to be.”
Source: @haanstreet
Operating in a category she notes is largely male-dominated, Jackson says she’s positioning herself and her product as a standout.
“In this comfort orthotic space, it’s driven heavily by men… I want to dominate what I’m doing,” she said. “No one else has what I have. It’s uniquely mine.”
And at the core of her business philosophy is authenticity, driving how she builds her products and connects with her audience.
“If it’s something that you really use, the way you talk about it, the way you go about it, it just comes off easy,” she said. “It’s more authentic if you actually use it yourself.”
Similarly, that same authenticity shapes the advice she shares with aspiring entrepreneurs, Black women in particular, as she emphasizes both realism and resilience.
“It’s not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart,” she said. “You have to wear many hats at first, and every day takes work. But if it’s something that’s part of your lifestyle, something you actually use, it shows. Building a strong foundation under yourself and your business is everything.”
The full Shoe Gummi collection is available online at ShoeGummi.com.
