Almost 25 years after Spanx shapewear conquered the female silhouette, the founder unveiled another novelty: the stiletto heel sneaker.
Sneex, a hybrid stiletto touted as the “Hy-Heel” on the company’s website, is the latest invention of 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 her latest invention, Blakely set out to create a luxurious high-heeled shoe that was as comfortable as a pair of sneakers. The result is a bold design that seems to be a literal interpretation of the concept.
Sneex.com
Made in Spain, the shoes are made from materials such as nappa leather and Italian mesh and come in a wide range of styles for both casual and formal occasions.
“It was a long development – a lot of factory development, about nine to 10 years,” Blakely recently told CBS Morning News, describing her checkered search for a manufacturer that took her to factories across Europe amid countless rejections.
“A lot of factories weren’t designed to match the performance of a sneaker with stilettos, so it was a lot of trial and error,” she said. “At one point in development, I was like, ‘I just want my high heel to feel like my sneaker,’ and then I was like, ‘OK guys, let’s just try it and see if it works.'”
In developing Sneex, Blakely addressed three main problems women have with their heels. “First, we didn’t want the toes to be pinching. Second, there was always a gap between the foot and the shoe – in a heel – in the middle where the arch is. We filled those gaps so the whole foot is supported,” she said.
The third key point is balance. “For hundreds of years, our weight in traditional high heels has been 80 percent on the ball of the foot and 20 percent on the heel,” said the inventor, adding that with Sneex, the weight distribution on the wearer’s foot is more like 50/50.
Leaflet
“Even though you’re wearing a three-inch stiletto, it almost feels like you’re flat on the ground. It’s a really weird feeling and that’s why they’re really, really comfortable,” Blakely said.
The only thing higher than Sneex’s 3-inch heel is their price. A pair of these fancy luxury heels costs between $395 and $595. That alone can be a pain point for many consumers, especially Americans Limit spending amid high prices for everyday necessities such as food, gasoline and accommodation.
However, for those who can spend the money, Sneex is “worth every penny,” according to Blakely.
