- Sara Blakely this week unveiled her latest invention: sneaker stilettos.
- The billionaire floated the idea of comfortable heels over a decade ago.
- Some people online applauded the concept of Sneex but criticized the aesthetics.
The billionaire Sara Blakely is reentering the entrepreneurial fold after selling a majority stake in Spanx, her shapewear brand, to Blackstone in 2021.
Her next act? Sneex, a footwear brand billed as a hybrid of a sneaker and a high heel.
It launched this week with three styles in a variety of colors, priced between $395 and $595.
Blakely floated the idea of comfortable stilettos in 2013 and says the venture has been in the works for eight years. The company says the shoes are designed with a widened toe box and more balanced weight distribution.
Blakely has teased her "new invention" online — including her husband's reaction to a prototype — but early reception on social media has been mixed.
Some people said they loved the concept of Sneex but weren't so sold on the aesthetics.
"Definitely seems like a thing that should exist but... why does it have to look like that," one X user said.
"They are def ugly — but people also said the same thing about crocs, and look how successful they've been, mostly due to comfort," another said.
Others were firmly on board, calling Sneex "super cute."
Casey Lewis, a TikToker covering trends, argued that the wedge sneakers popularized by Isabel Marant in the early 2010s were making a comeback, though she also critiqued the look of Sneex.
Sneex did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
On the company's website, Blakely described Sneex as her latest bid "to advocate for women through product." She's not the first to tackle comfortable heels, with several other companies dabbling in the space.
