Spanx founder launches shoe brand Sneex

Sara Blakely, the founder of shapewear brand Spanx, is looking to disrupt the footwear market with the launch of a new luxury shoe brand Sneex, which blends the style of a traditional high heel with the performance and comfort of a sneaker.

For 25 years, Blakely has been on a mission to advocate for women through products, placing comfort at the heart of the equation to disprove the notion that “beauty is pain,” by offering solutions such as her innovative shapewear Spanx.

Now, Blakely is taking on the high heel market by inventing comfortable hybrid heels, which the company calls ‘hy-heels’ that have the look of a sneaker with a stiletto heel, featuring fine napa leather and suede from Italy and Spain.

These shoes don’t just look innovative, they also feature a patent-pending design that it states solves the three main key pain points that are typical in high-heel construction by giving “women comfort and walkability without compromising style”.

Sneex aims to address the lack of support between the foot and the sole of the shoe, which causes discomfort and wobbly heels, by closing the gap most heels have between the foot and the sole so it feels “like a hug,” while also respecting the natural shape of the toes to prevent squeezing.

In addition, it has reduced the crushing feeling on the ball of the foot by reengineering the weight distribution to feel 50/50 between the ball and heel of the foot.

Spanx founder Sara Blakely launches sneaker-heel hybrid shoes

Commenting on her new brand, Blakely said in a statement: "Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn't really changed. There has been a void in comfortable footwear, and women deserve a new option.

“I wanted to create a luxury high heel that prioritises how women feel, not just how we look. 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."

Sneex’s ‘hy-heels’ are handcrafted in Spain and available in three styles, single strap, double strap and wide strap, in ten colourways, with prices ranging from 395 to 595 US dollars in US sizes 5 to 11.

The brand also offers breathable and lightweight silk ankle socks for 16 US dollars designed to sit perfectly along the ankle of the Sneex shoes.

Blakely notes that broader trends of casualisation in apparel contributed to Sneex’s creation and the sneaker look of the ‘hy-heels’ with a sporty-inspired upper and grip sole.

“Consumers are dressing much more casually now," notes Blakely. "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."

On the website, Blakely adds: “Sneex are my love letter to every woman who has taken her shoes off at a party, who wears flats to work with heels in her bag, who thought her days of wearing heels were over.”