Oh, pagtents! SNEEX last*

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

According to the Shoemaker Academy: 

The shoe last is the starting point of every shoe design and has been called ‘the heart of the shoe.’ […] The shape of the last determines the fit, performance, ergonomics, and style of a shoe, and is also what makes a shoe suitable for playing basketball, climbing mountains, or running a marathon. Great-looking shoe design is nothing if the last is not appropriate for the shoe’s function.

Accordingly, the SNEEX stiletto last is a patented design. The SNEEX last was awarded the US design patent USD982304S, titled Shoe last. The patent was awarded on April 4, 2023, to Sara Blakely, Jadideah Yarbrough and Sylma Colon-Otten.

Below the patent Figure 1 showing a front, left-side, perspective view of the patented shoe last, together with an image of the SNEEX last used to design SNEEX stilettos. The image of the yellow SNEEX last illustrates the gap in support on the footbed of a regular stiletto. A gap that the SNEEX stiletto design precisely fills as part of the comfort innovations of the shoe.

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* En français, forme de cordonnier.

References
Shoemakers Academic – What is a shoe last?
https://shoemakersacademy.com/what-is-a-shoe-last/
SNEEX (website)
www.sneex.com

Oh, patents! SNEEX stilettos

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

SNEEX stilettos are luxury high-heeled shoes that were designed as comfortable as sneakers. SNEEX stilettos were masterminded by none other than Sara Blakely, the famous founder, and manifold inventor, of SPANX clothing. In Blakely’s own terms: “We put a man on the moon. I’ve been dreaming of designing a comfortable hi-heel since wearing them.” However, like many women, she found herself having to take them off on many occasions, for various reasons.  Thus, SNEEX stilettos incorporate much comfort innovation into their fabrication, in the spirit of SPANX, which boasts an impressive patent portfolio. 

 SNEEX shoes have 3-inch stiletto heels.  They are made in Spain, of premium, supple, napa leather and suedes from Italy and France. Beyond luxury, SNEEX shoes resolve three important problems related to stilettos. First, SNEEX stilettos offer a much more spacious toe box, to resolve the problem of tightly squeezed toes. Secondly, SNEEX stilettos compensate the height of three-inch heels with a platform sole, so that SNEEX stilettos distribute weight in a proportion closer to 50% on the heel and 50% on the ball of the foot, comparable to sneakers, in contrast to an 80% - 20% distribution with traditional stilettos. Finally, SNEEX stilettos, offer no gap on the footbed for supporting the user’s foot, especially under the arch. The result is a stiletto that was designed for “walking, dancing and dreaming!” A stiletto without compromise between style and comfort.

The US design patent, USD1020201S1, titled Shoe, was awarded on April 2^nd, 2024, to Sara Blakely, Jadideah Yarbrough and Sylma  Colon-Otten. The figure drawing on the patent cover page is included below, together with images of The Blake, one of the marketed SNEEX stiletto models.

The patent figure shows right and bottom-up, perspective views of the patented shoe design. On the patent figure, the upper portions of the shoe, within dotted lines, indicate portions of the design uncovered by the patent. Thus, the patent exclusively protects the ornamental features of the SNEEX sole, for a shoe where the uppers and heel may vary. 

Reference
SNEEX
www.sneex.com

SPANX

www.spanx.com