The Sneex Sneaker Heels Trend: Oprah's Birthday Surprise for Gayle King

Gayle King had the surprise of a lifetime thanks to Oprah, but we can’t say her shoe selection surprised us — everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Hoda Kotb is wearing Sneex sneaker heels.

Earlier this month, Winfrey surprised King, her “bestie of 50 years,” with a 70th birthday party, and let’s just say, the outfits didn’t disappoint. The former sparkled in a gold jumpsuit, while the birthday girl was fixed up in a green fringe dress and a pair of Sneex high-heel sneakers.

Because best friends influence each other all the time (as further evidenced by King’s monochrome outfit!) we had an inkling this might happen: Oprah’s 2024 Favorite Things List included a mention of both King and the brand’s shoes — albeit a different style than the ones she wore this time. Oprah even wrote that King “wore [them] for 12 hours straight!”

Sneex The Tepper Hy-Heel Sneaker in Varsity Green

Though The Tepper Hy-Heel Sneakers look like they’d pass the Grinch’s dress code, they’re not going to give you something more to complain about: The toe box has extra space, so your toes shouldn’t rub on the sides of the shoes. The Teppers also have a sturdy “rubber-like sole,” according to the brand, and no buckles or laces — so a slip, trip, or fall from a slick floor or undone shoelace is curtailed, especially in inclement winter weather.

Drew Barrymore also gifted Mariah Carey a pair, so we know they’re in more than a few celebrity closets.

Sneex The Tepper Hy-Heel Sneaker in Silver

All of Sneex’s shoes, including the Tepper, are designed to have a 50-50 weight distribution between the balls of your feet and heels, according to the brand. My mom and I are hard at work testing another pair, The Icon, which are the same ones Oprah included on her Favorites List and the pair that we spotted on Witherspoon. I can confirm that they do feel less painful than traditional heels because of this.

After I returned home from a night of wearing regular heels on Thanksgiving, the balls of my feet were so sore. Just for kicks, I took them off, put on my pair of Sneex shoes, and I kid you not, all of the pain went away instantly. I’d assume the Tepper style would feel the same way.

Sneex The Icon Hy-Heel Sneaker in Black

These Sneex heels come in a variety of colors and range in price from $395 to $595.

Keep scrolling to shop Gayle King’s The Tepper Hy-Heel Sneakers, and find more styles from Sneex below.