Dive Brief:
- Spanx founder Sara Blakely is entering the shoe market through the launch of her next venture, Sneex. The shoe brand combines features from a high heel and a sneaker to create a hybrid heel, or what the company calls “hy-heels.”
- Using materials such as napa leather and suede from Italy and Spain, Sneex shoes retail for $395 to $595 and come in sizes 5 to 11, according to a company press release.
- The product, which is available in three styles and 10 colorways, is available for purchase on Sneex’s website.
Dive Insight:
Spanx’s Sara Blakely is off on her next venture.
Blakely founded the shapewear brand in 2000 using $5,000 in savings. The idea behind the brand came after Blakely struggled to find the right undergarments to wear under white pants, leading her to cut the feet off her control top pantyhose.
After growing in popularity, the brand in 2021 announced it sold a majority stake to investment firm Blackstone in a move that valued the company at $1.2 billion. At the time, the company said Blakely would retain a “significant” stake in Spanx as she stepped into the executive chairperson role.
Now, Blakely is returning to her innovation roots, looking to solve another pain point many people face when it comes to wearing high heels.
"Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn't really changed," Blakely said in a statement. "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. We are fed the line that 'beauty is pain'... but I don't believe it has to be.”
The company aims to address three common concerns in its shoe construction: lack of support, uneven weight distribution and toe squeezing.
Broader trends, like the casualization of apparel, also contributed to Sneex’s creation. But Blakely added that, “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."
