Ruth Bettles

'Storage within a Shoe' development board - The handbag is vulnerable as a ‘goldmine of goodies’ for thieves. Women feel relentlessly conscious of their handbag since it contains their ‘lives’ within it; ultimately tainting the nightlife experience and preventing a desired hands free attitude. Women currently create their own solutions to this problem by stashing money and other small valuables within shoes, socks and bra’s which are considered more inaccessible to theft. Women require opportunities to disperse valuables in less targetable places with innovative, discrete and unconventional ways; potentially answering that requirement to be hands free and carefree with valuable belongings. Primarily this shoe is not intended to replace the handbag as a woman’s main belongings carrying receptacle, rather to provide a safe and secret alternative location for the smaller, more valuable items such as credit cards, banknotes and a single house key. Handbags when carried in bars, clubs, pubs and other public areas are notoriously targetable items and are easily stolen whereas shoes are less so because they are items of clothing and physically attached to the user. Should the user require a hands free situation, the shoe may be used independently to the handbag.

'Storage within a Shoe' final aesthetic prototype - The handbag is vulnerable as a ‘goldmine of goodies’ for thieves. Women feel relentlessly conscious of their handbag since it contains their ‘lives’ within it; ultimately tainting the nightlife experience and preventing a desired hands free attitude. Women currently create their own solutions to this problem by stashing money and other small valuables within shoes, socks and bra’s which are considered more inaccessible to theft. Women require opportunities to disperse valuables in less targetable places with innovative, discrete and unconventional ways; potentially answering that requirement to be hands free and carefree with valuable belongings. Primarily this shoe is not intended to replace the handbag as a woman€™s main belongings carrying receptacle, rather to provide a safe and secret alternative location for the smaller, more valuable items such as credit cards, banknotes and a single house key. Handbags when carried in bars, clubs, pubs and other public areas are notoriously targetable items and are easily stolen whereas shoes are less so because they are items of clothing and physically attached to the user. Should the user require a hands free situation, the shoe may be used independently to the handbag.

'Storage within a Shoe' function board - The handbag is vulnerable as a ‘goldmine of goodies’ for thieves. Women feel relentlessly conscious of their handbag since it contains their ‘lives’ within it; ultimately tainting the nightlife experience and preventing a desired hands free attitude. Women currently create their own solutions to this problem by stashing money and other small valuables within shoes, socks and bra’s which are considered more inaccessible to theft. Women require opportunities to disperse valuables in less targetable places with innovative, discrete and unconventional ways; potentially answering that requirement to be hands free and carefree with valuable belongings. Primarily this shoe is not intended to replace the handbag as a woman’s main belongings carrying receptacle, rather to provide a safe and secret alternative location for the smaller, more valuable items such as credit cards, banknotes and a single house key. Handbags when carried in bars, clubs, pubs and other public areas are notoriously targetable items and are easily stolen whereas shoes are less so because they are items of clothing and physically attached to the user. Should the user require a hands free situation, the shoe may be used independently to the handbag.

'Storage within a Shoe' development sketches

Worn prototype with internal compartment being accessed