People love Kathy Bates in the Matlock reboot! She won the Critics Choice Award for the role earlier this month, and it was one of her two nominations at this weekend’s SAG Awards (the other was for The Great Lillian Hall). After watching the clips for both performances, I think the SAGs could easily create a new category: Kathy Bates Loses Her Sh-t. The nominees could be Kathy, plus all the scene partners she yells at! Anyway, I’m thrilled Kathy is getting her flowers. And now that I’ve established my admiration for Ms. Bates, I must begin a difficult conversation. It has been brought to my attention that Kathy has attended every award show in 2025 wearing… SNEEX! The (demonic) brainchild of Spanx founder Sara Blakely, Sneex are a sneaker–high heel hybrid, in which you get the toe of a sneaker bolstered by a three-inch heel. I’ve been against them since they debuted six months ago, but seeing Kathy embrace them whole-heartedly is throwing me off balance — and I’m not even wearing fashion stilts!
Kathy Bates is looking her best in her signature shoe at the SAG Awards 2025.
The star, 76, arrived at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 23, wearing a classically tailored look featuring a cinched shiny black blazer with matching pants.
She ditched traditional heels in favor of Sneex, the mesh heel-sneaker hybrid that she’s been wearing all awards season. This time, she rocked a pair of The Icon heels, which retail for $395, in a black and white colorway, which she also did for the Critics Choice Awards on Feb. 7.
Bates’ Sneex streak first started at the Golden Globes, where she turned heads in a monochromatic black ensemble and a pair of the sporty heels in navy.
Though her look was minimalist, Bates made sure to pile on the bling. Her accessories included Pomellato interlocking earrings made of 18K rose gold, a matching Pomellato rose gold necklace with diamonds and a ring adorned with a large black gemstone.
Bates is a double nominee at this year’s ceremony. She is nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV movie or limited series for her role in The Great Lillian Hall and for outstanding performance in a drama series for playing the titular character in Matlock.
Bates’ latest look adds to her stylish — yet comfy — award show fashion.
At the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, the Misery star wore a simple yet chic black moto-style jacket and black undershirt. She showed off the entirety of her rock-and-roll inspired outfit when she was named best actress in a drama series for Matlock.
In January, Bates wore a beautifully beaded dinner jacket that cinched at her waist to the 2025 Golden Globes. Adding to the look were black tuxedo pants and a sparkling evening bag. She styled her hair in a retro half-up style with lots of bounce.
I agree with People Mag’s sartorial verdict that Kathy has been looking resplendent this year. She has a bounce in her step, and it’s not just from sporting this identity crisis of a shoe. Kathy’s lost a dramatic amount of weight — 100 pounds since she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2017. Around the time of the Emmys last year, Kathy talked about how exciting it was for her to fit into clothes differently. So I definitely think we’re seeing that rekindled sense of joy and fun play out on the red carpet. But… but… must that include Sneex?! Despite my protestations, these kicks have been an unmitigated business success story. I guess I’m just a die-hard anti-heel girl. Also, if it were up to me to engineer the unicorn hybrid heaker/sneel, I would want the toe part that peeks out from underneath the skirt or pants to emulate a fancy high heel, and then have comfort in the back of the shoe (ie, no heel). So a fashiony front in an overall supportive, level frame — what would that look like? Oh yeah, FLATS.
Look, if the day ever comes that my feet find themselves ensconced, happily, in one of these things, I will be the first to admit my flip flop on the issue. But as long as they’re still running $400-$600 a pair (which they are), I’ll remain comfortable in my indignation. I mean sneakers!
photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, screenshot from YouTube/Critics Choice Awards and Getty
Whoa. Those are some expensive ugly shoes.
I’m with you, Kismet. These make absolutely no sense. It should be party in the front/part you can see, comfort in the back/part that’s hidden. What’s the point of wearing a high heeled shoe that looks like a sneaker from the front? Weird.
I’m enjoying the Matlock reboot aside from the fact she’s recruited her minor grandson into a life of crime with his hacking and spying.
I can kiiiiiiiinda see having the toe box being the comfort zone. As someone with Morton’s Neuromas in both feet (like a pinched nerve at the base of your toe(s)), I definitely need the softer padding on that part of my foot. Also, as you age, you lose the fat pad on the ball areas of your feet, so it makes sense to have more padding where you bear the bulk of your body weight in heels. Also, I’d think that for some women with bunions (from wearing snug toe box-pointy toed shoes), the width of the Sneex offer relief. But damn, they don’t HAVE to LOOK like a regular sneaker?! Why not just incorporate the sneaker bottom with a more attractive top?
Im kinda into it! In beige!!
I am really enjoying seeing Kathy on a regular basis! I still couldn’t wear those shoes because the heel would make my knees instantly hurt.
For me, if I need to get “dressed up”, I’m into low kitten heels. Still gives the “look” w/out the pain and vertigo of heels lol
yeah. i don’t get it. it looks like a running shoe. not even a CUTE sneaker. just wear a nice little shoe with no heel. why do you need a heel? i’m confused. get your stuff hemmed if needed. you’re a celebrity. you have the money. oh, and i took a quick peek at the website for sneex and they do not at all look any better for your feet (especially your forefoot and toes!) than a pair of regular heels. what a f-ing colossal waste of money. what a joke. hard pass. give me a pair of Groundies or any other foot shaped shoe (Google them and thank me later) and call it a day!
I have a funny 6 degrees connection to Sneex heels–the creator’s kids go to my school–they are in younger grades. One of my colleagues came in the other day wearing Sneexs heels–apparently her child is friends with one of the creator’s kids and she got a comped pair. I got to see the shoes up close–they are actually quite beautiful, and you can see the engineering in them–took 10 years to develop I hear. My colleague taught standing all day in the shoes and said they were comfortable. I would buy a pair if I were so inclined–for now I’m chasing a 2 year old so I wear running shoes exclusively–that kid is fast and likes to take off at a sprint at any moment. But they look made to last–like you could buy a pair and wear them regularly for years. I’m the kind of person who will buy 1 luxury item that I plan to have for a long time in different areas–I have 1 pair of Gucci heels, 1 Hermes scarf, for ex. I might buy a pair of sneexs in the future. I think those are the only heels I’m likely to wear in the future.
Do I like those shoes?
Nope.
But the Lady is 76 she has earned the right to wear whatever she wants to.
Are they objectively abhorrent? Yes. Do I still kinda like them anyway? Also yes.
I unironically love those shoes! They’re so fun.
My fam loves her in Matlock, we’re yelling our clue guesses at the tv through the whole thing. My fanlove for Jason Ritter has only grown too. Check out his crazed dancing on Insta to promote new episodes, it’s deranged.
I think they’re kind of cute. Am I nuts? I’ll show myself out.
I love Sneex. And now they have a gorgeous brown pair.