Whenever we feature expensive designer shoes, we usually get comments like, “At that price, those shoes better make me breakfast,” “those shoes better have a phone built into them,” or “those shoes better clean my house.”
Well, believe it or not, the following shoes do just that, and most of them aren’t ridiculously priced either.
If you’re the type of shopper who loves getting more bang for your buck, you’ll appreciate that these shoes also serve a practical purpose. If you’re aware of any additional shoe hacks we should be aware of, please send us an email or contact us on social media.
1. Heels That Open Bottles
Men had this first in the form of a sandal with a bottle opener on the sole, but this stiletto heel is not only sexier but also much more hygienic.
Ellie Shoes “672-Juliet” Platform Sandals with Bottle Opener Heels, $108.90
Ellie Shoes “672-Rhonda” Platform Sandals with Bottle Opener Heels, $86.41
High Heel Shoe Design Bottle Openers, $5.95
2. Sandals With a Hidden Flask
Reef’s “Dram” sandals have an encapsulated canteen with a screw cap in the heel that can hold up to 3 ounces of liquid. These are best suited for beach parties, but not ideal for airports.
Reef “Dram” Sandals and Reef “Fanning” Sandals, $16.99 – $109.13
3. High Heels That Double as a Drinking Glass
Watch Rihanna turn heads as she seductively sips from a red-bottomed stiletto pump.
4. Wedges With Secret Compartments
Forget clutches—Double Agent Shoes by Bellona Fashions cleverly transform the unused space inside wedge heels into hidden compartments perfect for stashing cash, cards, keys, or even a mini bottle of booze.
Double Agent Shoes by Bellona Fashions “The Elegant One” Wedges, $275
5. Platform Sandals That Look Like Fish Tanks
Urban legend has it that real, live fish were placed in the clear platforms and heels of disco shoes back in the 1970s. Animal activists are said to have put a stop to the cruel trend.
True or not, the legend persists in the form of these clear platform sandals with, now, thankfully, fake fish. How do you feel about fish shoes?
Ellie Shoes “601-Goldie” Goldfish Platform Sandals, $60.54
6. Stripper Heels With Built-In Tip Jars
Taylor Momsen first introduced us to these stripper heels with built-in tip slots.
Taylor Momsen performing with her band, Pretty Reckless, in Pleaser “Tip Jar” heels during the Vans Warped Tour at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in Palm Beach, Florida, on July 24, 2010 (Credit: Jeff Daly / Rachel Worth / DADADA studios / Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
7. High Heels as Weapons
Chanel’s gun heels and the news reported by ABC News that a professor was stabbed to death with a stiletto heel give a whole new meaning to the term “killer heels.”
Madonna in Chanel sandals with heels shaped like guns at the screening of ‘Filth and Wisdom’ hosted by The Cinema Society and Dolce & Gabbana at the Landmark Sunshine Theater in New York City on October 13, 2008
8. Shoes That Hold Candy
You can put the candy inside the shoes, but why do that when you can stick them on the outside of your shoes for easier access?
Internet personality La Coacha at Perez Hilton’s “Carn-Evil” Theatrical Freak and Funk 32nd birthday party at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, on March 27, 2010
9. Pumps Turned Into Flower Pots
View more stunning images of shoes used as plant containers on The Spruce.
Pink patent pointy-toe pumps used as plant holders, shot by Kerry Michaels
10. Shoes With Maps on the Soles
Never ruin your shoes and never get lost: these waterproof shoe covers, which protect shoes from scuffs, dirt, and rain damage, also feature a map of New York, Paris, or Yokohama engraved on the soles.
Cool idea, but imagine the awkward position you have to twist your body into to look at the bottom of your shoes for directions.
The “City Slipper” shoe protectors with map soles by Swims
11. Slippers That Sweep
These broom-and-dustpan slippers are one of those weird Japanese inventions that may not be so weird if you think about the minimal effort you have to put into using them to sweep your floors.
12. Heels With Built-In Abacuses
Take a calculated fashion risk with these abacus heels.
Abacus heels photo from Weird Existence
Abacus stripper heels for entertaining a baby photo from Yahoo! Shine
13. Shoes That Hold Your iPhone
Okay, so these shoes are just iPhone holders, but they were made using a 3D printer, which makes them a lot cooler in our book.
“iPhone Mashup Shoes”: 3D-printed shoes with built-in iPhone cases by Alan Nguyen
14. High Heel Flippers
As if walking on the beach in flippers wasn’t hard enough, these come with high heels that are sure to sink in the sand.
15. Edible Bread Shoes
Short of making you a sandwich, these shoes made out of bread double as a quick meal, a tasty snack, or an on-the-go soup bowl.
Designed by a Lithuanian design firm, R&E Praspaliauskas, these shoes come in various styles, including baguette brogues, cob clogs, and bloomer boots.
Bread shoes by Lithuanian design firm R&E Praspaliauskas
16. Shoes With Flashlights or Light Bulbs
Pack these flashlights or light bulb heels along with the bread shoes in your emergency kit, and you’re ready for the apocalypse.
Models’ LED-tipped shoes lighting up like flashlights at the Chanel Fall 2011 fashion presentation held during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, on July 5, 2011
Chanel platform sandals with light bulbs for heels from the label’s pre-fall 2008 collection (image from Fashioning Tech and Style Pantry)
17. Shoes That Double as Pants
Shoes can now double as pants if you ask Willow Smith and Tamara Mellon.
Willow Smith in Daryl van Wouw’s Converse Extension 1 Project Sneaker Pants at Nickelodeon’s 23rd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards held at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, on March 27, 2010
Tamara Mellon “Sweet Revenge” Leather Legging Boots
18. High Heels Made From Cleaning Supplies
Who says you can’t clean the floor in style? This eye-catching conversation piece is crafted from everyday cleaning products—sponges, fabrics, beads, acrylic, and rhinestones—transformed into a pair of high-fashion heels.
19. High Heel Chairs: Shoe-Shaped Furniture Trend
Why stop at wearing high heels when you can sit in one? These bold, shoe-shaped chairs are a favorite among fashion lovers and make a fun, flirty statement piece for any glam room or boutique.
Shoe-shaped high heel chairs make a bold, fashion-forward statement as fun and functional furniture for stylish spaces