What are Sneex shoes? Spanx founder Sarah Blakley's new product
FILE - Spanx founder and CEO Sara Blakely speaks onstage during Vanity Fairs Founders Fair at Spring Studios on April 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
Sarah Blakley, the inventor of Spanx, has another product to unveil to the fashion world.
The business executive hinted in a handful of social media posts over the past week that she had a new invention poised to soon make its official debut.
Blakley shared on social media Tuesday morning a video introducing a new shoe brand called Sneex – what she says are the world’s first high heels that are actually comfortable.
Here’s what to know about the shoe:
Sneex shoes
Sneex shoes were invented by Sarah Blakley, the maker of Spanx, in efforts to create a comfortable high heel.
Sneex brands itself as a "hy-heel," a luxury, hybrid stiletto, that blends together sneakers and high heels.
The 2024 collection is available as of Tuesday, Aug. 20, and features three versions in various colors: The Tepper, The Blake and The Icon, each having one strap, two straps or a wide strap.
In a video on Sneex’ website, Blakley describes the process of creating the shoe and said she and the designers focused on three main differences:
- The toe box, eliminating the narrow, pinching toe
- The weight distribution
- The gap between the heel and the toe
She said creating this product took her all over the world over the last eight years, and that nine factories turned them down.
"Trying to convince these shoemakers with centuries of experience to do it differently was next to impossible," Blakley said in the video.
Who is Sarah Blakley?
Sarah Blakley is a successful business entrepreneur, known for creating the shapewear brand Spanx in 2000.
In 2021, Spanx made a deal with Blackstone to acquire a majority stake in the company. Blackstone closed the deal, which pegged Spanx as being worth $1.2 billion.
Blakley’s latest contribution to the business and fashion world debuted in August 2024 - Sneex, a hybrid stiletto.
She said in her latest video on Instagram announcing the product that, for 25 years, it’s been her mission to advocate for women through product.
"Sneex are my love letter to women," she said. "I care a lot about how we feel, not just about how we look."