Secret soles help you hide stuff in your shoes
A night of drinking and dancing often means a hangover the next day. But a lost or stolen handbag can be another unfortunate side effect. This means no keys or wallet, and puts you at risk of identity theft and fraud. Companies have tried to tackle the problem with things like a bra with a concealed pocket and a lacy garter with a concealed fold — but who wants to dig around in their undergarments when buying a drink? Now you can tuck your stuff in your shoe, spy style.
When Florida resident Carolina Ferreira was robbed at gunpoint, she stopped carrying a purse, opting to stash her essentials in her bra. But this was an imperfect solution. Stuff would fall out, things would get lost. Her solution: Combine her favorite shoe style — wedges — with storage, creating a compartment in the shoe between the sole and the heel.
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Her first few pairs were handmade; she used her skills as an artist to pretty them up. She has no background in fashion, but friends and mentors helped with the details. The results? Five styles — a mix of strappy wedges, lace-up boots and multicolored party shoes, ranging in price from $165–$225 — all with the Double Agent compartment. "The style is important," she tells OZY. "It has to be fashion and functionality. It has to be attractive for women who wear the shoe, not just a shoe with a door and compartment." The back of the shoe features a "door" with a retractable mechanism in the back of the heel and a tiny latch. To open it, unhook and it folds out; small magnets snap it back into place.
But will women really want to fiddle around with their shoes to get their credit cards? With the door in the back, "you never need to touch the dirt on the floor," Ferreira says. True, but playing with your heel just looks, well, odd. And how secure and safe is it really? Private investigator Marc Bourne, a certified cyberintelligence professional at the Know It All Intelligence Group, thinks disguising your valuables — whether it's a shoe or a soda can with hidden storage — can be useful. But he warns that some products can look fake and, in turn, attract attention. He thinks the shoe could be good for a night out, but the "inconvenience factor for everyday use" might make it frustrating.
Ferreira says the shoe doesn't have to replace your handbag — just keep your essentials in your shoe. She adds, "Sometimes when you go out, you forget your purse. Hopefully you'll go home with your shoes!" True that.
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