Jane Fonda’s heeled trainers are the latest ‘love-to-hate’ shoe

We are currently in the midst of an ugly shoe era. From Alaia’s fishnet ballet flats to Maison Margiela’s split-toe Tabi shoes, to designer collaborations with the likes of Crocs (Simone Rocha) and Birkenstock (Valentino), it’s never been edgier – or more stylish – to have questionably attired feet. There’s even an entire theory around the appeal – the “Wrong-Shoe Theory” – coined by stylist Allison Bornstein (who previously worked on Katie Holmes’s street style looks), which purports that wearing an unexpected pair of shoes makes an outfit stand out.

The latest love-to-hate design to get your head around is the “Sneex”, a high-heel-sneaker hybrid designed by the woman who brought us Spanx, Sara Blakely. Modelled by actress Jane Fonda earlier this week, they are ostensibly running shoes with a three-inch heel (much of the promo around them has involved women doing sports while wearing them, in fact).

The 86-year-old wore hers for an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show, later sharing a snap from backstage in which she waxed lyrical about how comfortable they are. The near-nonagenarian – who has osteoarthritis – has previously complained of her inability to wear stilettos like she used to, telling The Telegraph in 2023, “When you get older, you can’t wear high heels any more – you can fall over in them.”

According to the Sneex website, the design worn by Fonda, The Blake, “mixes the comfort of a sneaker with the fun of a high heel”, and was “made for trend setters looking to add some flair to their shoe collection without sacrificing comfort or style”.

If the style feels familiar to you, it’s because there were a plethora of heeled trainers like this in the early 2000s: who could forget Manolo Blahnik’s Timberland-style heeled boots, or Gwen Stefani’s thigh-high Converse? Just add Sneex to the ever-growing list of other major Y2K trends – bubble skirts, baby tees and bucket hats – which have been making a comeback of late.

Much like Blakely’s previous invention, Spanx, the Sneex have been specifically designed to address a common fashion problem – that high heels are often uncomfortable to wear. Made using high-quality Italian mesh, nappa leather and suede, it features a double strap for an adjustable fit and added support. Blakely has also worked on redistributing weight more evenly between the ball of the foot and the heel, so that it’s split 50-50 between the two, as well as widening the toe box, eliminating that squished-toe feeling. Many early reviewers have commented on how easy they are to slip on and off, as well as to walk in thanks to these design hacks.

Launched last month in the US, Sneex will no doubt prompt much debate, as any so-called “ugly” shoes do.

The comments on Fonda’s Instagram post are a pretty even split of naysayers and fans, with some delighted by how comfortable they look but others hanging their heads at the sneaker design.

One sticking point in particular is the price, with the cost of a pair of Sneex ranging from $395 to $595 (approximately £299-£450). They are also currently only available in full sizes, rather than half sizes, with some reporting that this can make them just as uncomfortable as your regular three-inch heel.

“I get it,” says fashion editor Stacey Duguid. “I like that she designed these as a love letter to women who always carry flats in their bag, because that’s me. I would say that the design and colours and clunkiness of it does feel slightly naff. I can imagine someone wearing them unironically with a velour tracksuit. I think I’d rather wear a pair of FitFlops. I don’t think I need trainers with a heel. But I wouldn’t mind trying a pair and seeing if I could run…”

“I think Sneex are a definite no for me,” shares stylist Anna Cascarina. “Trainers are supposed to be comfortable. And three-inch heels definitely are not! They remind me of the awful Balenciaga heeled Crocs from 2021 that I couldn’t get my head around either. In my opinion heels should be heels and trainers should be trainers. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and definitely don’t merge them together. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!”

As for when the Sneex will be available in the UK, there’s no clear launch date as yet – but watch this space.