October 19, 2025 • 38 mins
How can we walk in comfort in our own shoes? That is our question today! Not just as a fashion statement but as a question of leadership as well.
Footwear is still designed mostly by people who don’t walk in our shoes. Literally. And for women, most dress shoes are built for an “average” foot that doesn’t exist.
Tina Wright, founder of GRRIPP Industries and inventor of The Heel Sling, joined us a few weeks ago to unpack a powerful conversation on how a simple, elegant strap inside the shoe is changing fit, safety, and confidence for women and kids.
In this episode of Exposing the Hidden Reality, we talk about the fashion biases that impact women - both at work AND in the venture capital boardrooms. Tina talks about leadership under pressure, bias in product design, the long road from prototype to patent, and why data and lived experience beat doubt every time. If you’ve ever owned “sitting shoes,” this one’s for you.
Listen in and bring your questions on product, patents, and getting into retail.
About Tina Wright:
As a young Wall Street professional, Tina Wright wore heels and flats daily for work, but her thin feet made it difficult to find good fitting shoes. She would constantly walk out of her shoes. Tina started with band aids and then tried every heel insert available from gel and silicone to grip and foam heel inserts to make her shoes fit better and be more comfortable.
Nothing worked or lasted. All of the inserts or grips would roll and come off with more wear, and she was spending more and more money to replace them. Eventually, she reduced the amount of time she wore dress shoes for work and resigned herself to wearing mules and clogs, not the most professional of shoes.
Later as a mother, her toddler daughter inherited her thin feet and was also experiencing heel slippage in every shoe except a lace-up or Mary Jane shoe with a Velcro strap. It was now a struggle for both of them.
Seeing an opportunity, Tina began experimenting with her daughter’s shoes first and realized that a “strap” inserted into the shoe would effectively remedy the problem of heel slippage creating a more custom fit. Thus, The Heel Sling was conceived and Tina started GRRIPP Industries.
Connect with Tina:
www.theheelsling.com
@theheelsling on all social media
Exposing the Hidden Reality is a weekly gathering for women who are ready to get real, ask better questions, and push back against the biases and barriers that shape our lives, work, and leadership.
Here, we:
✨ Dive into bold conversations with brilliant women
✨ Spotlight untold stories and truths
✨ Challenge hidden systems and social norms
✨ Share practical insights—with a side of sass and sisterhood
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a platform for our collective voice.
Have you lived through something that exposed hidden biases, reshaped how you lead, or changed the way you see yourself and the world?
Women and allies who are ready to speak truth, to name what's been silenced, and to spark change through authentic conversation are always invited to join us so we can hear your story. This is a platform for our collective and individual voices; where your voice matters and your experience can light the way for others navigating similar terrain.
Apply here: https://exposingthehiddenreality.com/Apply
Connect with Exposing the Hidden Reality:
https://exposingthehiddenreality.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exposingthehiddenreality
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exposingthehiddenreality
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exposingthehiddenreality
Connect with Annette Garsteck:
https://www.annettegarsteck.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettegarsteck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annettegarsteck
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@annettegarsteck
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annette.garsteck
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnnetteGarsteck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annettegarsteck
Connect with Sandra Wint:
https://www.me-her-us.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrabwint
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meherusllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meherusllc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.wint
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meherusllc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@meherusllc
Photography of Sandra Wint + Annette Garsteck taken by Katie Garlock, Portrations | Intro and Outro Music + Stock Media provided by BlueFoxMusic / Pond5.
Footwear is still designed mostly by people who don’t walk in our shoes. Literally. And for women, most dress shoes are built for an “average” foot that doesn’t exist.
Tina Wright, founder of GRRIPP Industries and inventor of The Heel Sling, joined us a few weeks ago to unpack a powerful conversation on how a simple, elegant strap inside the shoe is changing fit, safety, and confidence for women and kids.
In this episode of Exposing the Hidden Reality, we talk about the fashion biases that impact women - both at work AND in the venture capital boardrooms. Tina talks about leadership under pressure, bias in product design, the long road from prototype to patent, and why data and lived experience beat doubt every time. If you’ve ever owned “sitting shoes,” this one’s for you.
Listen in and bring your questions on product, patents, and getting into retail.
About Tina Wright:
As a young Wall Street professional, Tina Wright wore heels and flats daily for work, but her thin feet made it difficult to find good fitting shoes. She would constantly walk out of her shoes. Tina started with band aids and then tried every heel insert available from gel and silicone to grip and foam heel inserts to make her shoes fit better and be more comfortable.
Nothing worked or lasted. All of the inserts or grips would roll and come off with more wear, and she was spending more and more money to replace them. Eventually, she reduced the amount of time she wore dress shoes for work and resigned herself to wearing mules and clogs, not the most professional of shoes.
Later as a mother, her toddler daughter inherited her thin feet and was also experiencing heel slippage in every shoe except a lace-up or Mary Jane shoe with a Velcro strap. It was now a struggle for both of them.
Seeing an opportunity, Tina began experimenting with her daughter’s shoes first and realized that a “strap” inserted into the shoe would effectively remedy the problem of heel slippage creating a more custom fit. Thus, The Heel Sling was conceived and Tina started GRRIPP Industries.
Connect with Tina:
www.theheelsling.com
@theheelsling on all social media
Exposing the Hidden Reality is a weekly gathering for women who are ready to get real, ask better questions, and push back against the biases and barriers that shape our lives, work, and leadership.
Here, we:
✨ Dive into bold conversations with brilliant women
✨ Spotlight untold stories and truths
✨ Challenge hidden systems and social norms
✨ Share practical insights—with a side of sass and sisterhood
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a platform for our collective voice.
Have you lived through something that exposed hidden biases, reshaped how you lead, or changed the way you see yourself and the world?
Women and allies who are ready to speak truth, to name what's been silenced, and to spark change through authentic conversation are always invited to join us so we can hear your story. This is a platform for our collective and individual voices; where your voice matters and your experience can light the way for others navigating similar terrain.
Apply here: https://exposingthehiddenreality.com/Apply
Connect with Exposing the Hidden Reality:
https://exposingthehiddenreality.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exposingthehiddenreality
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exposingthehiddenreality
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exposingthehiddenreality
Connect with Annette Garsteck:
https://www.annettegarsteck.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettegarsteck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annettegarsteck
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@annettegarsteck
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annette.garsteck
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnnetteGarsteck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annettegarsteck
Connect with Sandra Wint:
https://www.me-her-us.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrabwint
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meherusllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meherusllc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.wint
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meherusllc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@meherusllc
Photography of Sandra Wint + Annette Garsteck taken by Katie Garlock, Portrations | Intro and Outro Music + Stock Media provided by BlueFoxMusic / Pond5.
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