ATLANTA — Sara Blakely is going from Spanx to Sneex.

The Atlanta-based billionaire founder made her mark with her wildly successful shapewear brand that has since expanded into pants, dresses, tops and more. Now, she’s looking to step into a new apparel category — heels.

“I’ve been dreaming about creating a comfortable high heel since, well, I started wearing them,” Blakely said in a promotional video on the Sneex website. A spokesperson for Blakely did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Sneex combine a mesh, suede and leather sneaker body with a 3-inch heel. There are three initial models: The Icon, which has one thick elastic strap across the middle of the shoe; the Tepper, which shares a name with Blakely’s daughter and has one slim suede and Velcro strap; and the Blake, which has two suede and Velcro straps.

The brand officially launches Tuesday. Axios Atlanta was the first to report the news.

Blakely teased the product on her Instagram on Aug. 14, sharing a video of a pallet of cardboard boxes with the caption, “I invented a new product. ... Back in start up mode. Let’s GOOOO!”

The Sneex design is meant to alleviate some of the pain points in traditional heels. It has closed the gap between the foot and sole, has a wider toe box to prevent squishing and redistributes weight evenly between the ball of the foot and the heel, according to the website.

The shoes are made in Spain and range from $395 to $595. Blakely is also selling $16 silk socks branded with the Sneex logo.

Sneex follows in the footsteps of other sneaker-heel hybrids, like Air Jordan and Converse heels. In 2009, French designer Isabel Marant launched a hugely popular hidden wedge sneaker that had fans from fashion editors to Beyoncé, who wore the shoes in her “Love On Top” music video.

Blakely first founded Spanx in 2000 in her Atlanta apartment. In 2021, Blakely sold a majority stake to investment firm Blackstone in a deal that valued her company at $1.2 billion.

Blakely and her husband, entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, are part owners of the Atlanta Hawks.

_________

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.