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