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Sneex, a sneaker-stiletto hybrid shoe, claims to be comfortable. But is it podiatrist-approved?

Kaitlin Reilly
Sneex range from $395 to $595 and are founded by the creator of Spanx, Sara Blakely.
Sneex, founded by the creator of Spanx, Sara Blakely, range in price from $395 to $595. (Michel Euler/AP) (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

The woman behind Spanx changed the shapewear game — now Sara Blakely is hoping lightning will strike twice with her latest venture: Sneex.

The goal of Sneex is to address the major pain points (literally) people have while wearing high heels. The first shoe from the brand, called the "hy-heel," is essentially a lace-free sneaker with a three-inch heel. Blakely calls the shoes a “love letter” to “every woman who has taken her shoes off at a party” or swaps her more walking-friendly flats for heels the moment she gets to her office.

"Men invented the high heel centuries ago, and its basic construction hasn't really changed," Blakely said. "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. As a consumer, I have wanted to solve this problem for years."

While Sneex do not quite have the same look as, say, a sensible pair of black pumps, they are an elevated shoe, literally speaking — and, most important to Blakely, they’re purportedly comfortable. (They also come with a steep price tag: $395 to $595 a pair.)

Whether or not you love the Sneex design or prefer your heels planted firmly on the ground, you may be wondering — are these podiatrist approved?

Dr. Suzanne Fuchs, a podiatrist who did not work on the design of Sneex, tells Yahoo Life that high heels in general are not great for your feet.

“High heels elevate the heel and push the foot forward, which can cause an unnatural position of the foot,” she explains. “This can lead to an imbalance in the weight distribution, putting excessive pressure on the forefoot.”

Wearing high heels over time can actually contribute to foot deformities, she says, such as “bunions, hammertoes and neuromas.” The ligaments and tendons in your feet may become shortened and stiff, leading to pain and discomfort.

It’s not just your feet that can suffer. “High heels can also affect posture, leading to back and knee problems due to the altered alignment of the spine and pelvis,” Fuchs notes.

Based on the wedge sneaker trend of the early 2000s that I bought into, I'm skeptical about the claims that Sneex are comfortable.

Gayle King, who tried these shoes on during her CBS morning show, appears to love them. She even posted a video to Instagram wearing a green pair of the sneaker hybrids in the airport just to prove how comfy they are to wear long term.

However, Vogue writer Hannah Jackson, who tried Sneex as well, struggled with the shoes. Since they only come in whole sizes, she couldn’t find a perfect fit — her toes were too snug in the size 7, but she lacked ankle support when she went up to a size 8. Plus, she wrote, “while it is definitely more pleasant than a heel, it is not as comfortable as a sneaker, which sets up the wearer for disappointment.”

Blakely told CBS that her heels — which she said took almost a decade to create — hit many of the points that podiatrists care about when it comes to creating a more comfortable heeled shoe.

"[W]e didn't want the toe to squeeze your toes,” she told CBS. She also pointed to the typical “gap” between your foot and the shoe where the arch of your foot is. Sneex fill in these gaps, Blakely claims, “so your whole foot is supported.”

While Fuchs, who did not try Sneex, can’t speak to the specifics of the shoe, she says that there are some features a shoe should have in order to balance out the damage done by the heel. That includes arch support and cushioning, which can reduce strain on the feet — something Blakely said Sneex has incorporated into the design. The same goes for the wider toe box, which Fuchs noted can help prevent conditions like bunions and other foot deformities.

One knock for Sneex is that they boast a three-inch heel, which is significant height. While Fuchs recommends a sturdy heel design that can provide better grip and balance, she also says that the less height, the better. That’s because heels alter the natural alignment of your body by shifting your weight forward onto the balls of your feet, which is what leads to poor posture that can develop into other health issues over time.

Blakely, however, told CBS that due to the shoe’s near “50-50” distribution between the ball of the foot and the heel, “you almost feel like you're flat on the ground,” making the shoe more “comfortable” than typical three-inch stilettos.

While it’s unclear if Sneex had a podiatrist weigh in on the design of these shoes, Blakely’s convinced that they’ll leave feet happier than a standard high heel would. King approves — but you may have to walk a mile in her shoes to see if you do too.

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