The creator of Spanx is on a mission to reinvent women’s shoes — and she’s not giving up fashion for function.
Sara Blakely, who founded the revolutionary shapewear company 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.
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“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.
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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!”