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Have you been wishing for a shoe that combined the utilitarian style of a sneaker with the discomfort of a high heel? Er, I mean, “the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker?” And do you have $400 to $600 to invest in this unholy innovative experiment in women’s footwear? Well then boy, have I got good news for you! Spanx founder Sara Blakely has lowered her sights from torso undergarments to foot overgarments, with her new sneaker-heel hybrid brand named Sneex. The fledgling line consists of three styles, each with three-inch heels, that differ by straps; The Icon has one wide strap, The Tepper has one thin strap, and The Blake has two thin straps. Are we buying these kicks?
Sara Blakely, who founded the revolutionary shapewear company [Spanx] in 2000, is introducing Sneex, a sneaker-heel hybrid that “blends the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker,” per a press release.
Sneex sets out to solve three major pain points of the typical high heel design — lack of support, unequal weight distribution and the squeezing of the toes.
“Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn’t really changed,” Blakely says via press release. “There has been a void in comfortable footwear, and women deserve a new option. I wanted to create a luxury high heel that prioritizes how women feel, not just how we look.”
She continues, “We are fed the line that ‘beauty is pain’… but I don’t believe it has to be. As a consumer, I have wanted to solve this problem for years.”
The businesswoman also said that Sneex was born out of her personal desire for a more elevated sneaker option that didn’t previously exist.
“Consumers are dressing much more casually now,” she says. “While sneakers have been embraced as an option, there are many times I put on clothes and still want the height and look of a heel with the vibe of a sneaker. There was an opportunity there.”
The patent-pending design, available in three styles and ten colorways on Sneex.com, features fine napa leather and suede from Italy and Spain. Sneex are handcrafted in Spain with prices ranging from $395 (for styles like The Icon) to $595 (The Tepper) in whole sizes ranging from 5 to 11.
As is the ethos behind Spanx, Blakely put comfort at the forefront of Sneex in a way that challenges long-upheld ideals in the fashion industry.
“You have to try them on to feel the magic hidden inside,” she says. “Women either cry, dance or take off running. They can’t believe it’s a 3-inch heel!”
I think I would be one of the women who cried upon trying on these shoes (sneels? heakers?), but out of discomfort rather than euphoria. I’ve worn sneakers. I’ve worn Hokas! My feet know what full comfort and support feels like, and they won’t let me forget it if/when I try to stray. And if one of the three major pain points is unequal weight distribution, as identified by Blakely herself, then how is that solved here? However well-designed the ball of the toe portion is, I guarantee you I would go tumbling down the minute I tried placing weight on the heel. The heel is the problem! This is why I don’t f–k with fashion stilts! Plus I’m a backseat anarchist who has been gleefully watching from afar as the comfort shoe revolution takes over the red carpet. (By the way, did y’all catch Tim Walz’s daughter Hope take the stage last night in CLOGS after her dad’s speech? Superb.) We won’t go back! Or in my case, I still won’t go there to begin with!
But once again I do not have my toe on the pulse of the moment, because The Tepper style, which retails for $595, has already sold out in a limited edition silver color. Tepper is still available in white, or another limited edition color, “varsity green.” If Blakely can get Cynthia Erivo to don that green pair at some point during her Wicked promotion, it will be a massive win for Sneex.
Photos via Instagram and Sneex.com
