Billionaire Creates Rs. 50,000 High-Heel Sneakers, Faces ‘Ugly’ Criticism On X

Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, has achieved what many women worldwide thought impossible—she claims to have invented comfortable high-heel shoes. On August 20, the billionaire entrepreneur will unveil Sneex, her new footwear brand that specializes in high-heel sneakers.

“Sneex are my love letter to every woman who has taken her shoes off at a party, who wears flats to work with heels in her bag, who thought her days of wearing heels were over,” Blakely wrote on the Sneex website in anticipation of the launch.

The “luxury hybrid stiletto” line will be priced starting at $395 (approximately ₹33,000), with some pairs reaching up to $595 (about ₹50,000). According to Sneex’s website, the patented design aims to tackle the common discomforts associated with high heels through improved weight distribution, a comfortable toe box, and enhanced arch support.

Despite the innovative concept, the design has received a largely negative response on social media. A tweet promoting Sneex garnered almost a million views but was met with criticism. Comments included: “This is an extraordinarily ugly shoe,” and “The idea makes sense. The execution is HORRIBLE.”

Others were more measured, suggesting that while the shoes may be unattractive, their success could mirror that of Crocs, which gained popularity largely due to comfort. “We’ll see how they do!” one user commented.

Some expressed skepticism about whether Sneex would truly resolve the discomfort issues associated with high heels, with one X user remarking, “This is too literal. Making a heel look like a sneaker is not solving the issues that cause the discomfort.”

Crafted from Napa leather, mesh, and suede, Sneex reflects Blakely’s long-held wish to create comfortable high heels—a desire she first articulated in 2013, stating, “We put a man on the moon. Somebody needs to invent a comfortable high heel.”

Blakely, now 53, is a seasoned entrepreneur, having achieved billionaire status with Spanx and boasting a net worth of $1.3 billion in 2024.