Spanx Founder Unveils New Line of Stiletto Sneakers Called Sneex

Nearly 25 years after Spanx shapewear took over women’s silhouettes, its founder is unveiling another first: the stiletto heel sneaker.

Sneex, a hybrid stiletto heel billed on the company’s website as a “hy heel,” is the latest invention from entrepreneur Sara Blakely, the woman behind the billion-dollar brand Spanx, the underwear worn by the likes of Oprah and Gwyneth Paltrow that took the fashion world by storm in 2000.

With his latest invention, Blakely set out to create a luxury high-heeled shoe that was as comfortable as a pair of sneakers, resulting in a bold design that seems like a literal interpretation of the concept.

Made in Spain, the shoes are crafted from materials such as Napa leather and Italian mesh, and come in a variety of styles for both casual and formal wear.

“It was a long development — a lot of factory development, like nine to 10 years,” Blakely recently told CBS Morning News, describing a lengthy search for a manufacturer that took her to factories across Europe amid countless rejections.

“A lot of factories weren’t equipped to replicate the performance of a sneaker with a stiletto heel, so there was a lot of trial and error,” she said. “At one point in development, I was like, ‘I just want my high heel to look like my sneaker,’ and then I was like, ‘OK guys, let’s try this and see if it works.’”

In creating Sneex, Blakely explained that she addressed three major issues women have with their heels. “The first is that we didn’t want the toe to compress yours. The second is that there’s always been a gap between your foot and the shoe — in a heel — in the middle where the arch is. We filled those gaps so your whole foot is supported,” she said.

The third problem is balance. “For hundreds of years, with traditional high heels, 80% of the weight has been on the ball of the foot and 20% on the heel,” the inventor explains, adding that with Sneex, the weight distribution on the wearer’s foot is more like 50/50.

“Even if you’re wearing three-inch stilettos, you almost feel like you’re flat on the ground. It’s a really strange feeling and that’s why they’re really, really comfortable,” Blakely said.

The only thing that stands out above the 3-inch heel on Sneex is their price. A pair of the original luxury heels will set you back anywhere from $395 to $595. This can be a problem in itself for many consumers, especially Americans. reduce expenses in a context of high prices on everyday consumer products such as food, gasoline and housing.

However, for those with the money to spend, Blakely said Sneex is “worth every penny.”