Sara Blakely's new invention: Sneex, a comfortable high-heel shoe

Sara Blakely , the founder of shapewear pioneer and activewear Spanx, is tackling the Rubik's Cube of fashion challenges: making a comfortable high-heel shoe.

Why it matters: Next Tuesday, the Buckhead entrepreneur and Atlanta success story will launch Sneex , a "luxury hybrid stiletto" and "hy-heel sneaker."

Catch up quick: The new company has been in the making for roughly a decade. In 2013, Blakely told " 60 Minutes Australia " she wanted to invent a comfortable stiletto.

• "We put a man on the moon," she said. "Somebody needs to invent a comfortable high heel."

The design: On the Sneex website, Blakely says the company "broke the mold while creating a new mold, one that addresses all of our major pain points in high heels."

• The hand-crafted "hy-heel" shoes are made in Spain and come in a variety of styles and colors . Prices start at roughly $395 for The Icon and run up to $595 for The Tepper .
• The shoes look part-sneaker, part-heel. Most designs include a rubber-like sole visible on the sides of the shoe plus a single or double strap where laces usually go. And they can be worn with socks.

Between the lines: Sneex are designed to eliminate three pain points common with high heels: a narrow toe box, weight distributed unevenly onto the ball of the foot, and a gap between the heel of the foot and the shoe.

What they're saying: "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 says on the website.

• Sneex did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

The intrigue: Blakely posted a cryptic video on Tuesday teasing her newest invention.

• Axios tracked down patent and trademark registration information to nail down the story.

Flashback: Blakely's origin story has become the stuff of legend: She invented the shapewear brand in her Atlanta apartment while working as a fax machine salesperson and stand-up comedian.

• In 2021, she sold a majority stake in the company to investment firm Blackstone, which valued the company at $1.2 billion.