Smart Feet: 6 Great Shoe Ideas

Let's get this out of the way: if you haven't been to the Virtual Shoe Museum, you must go, now.  It is what it says--a virtual museum for shoes.  Go, bookmark it, and come back when you're done.  Ready?  Here are six shoe ideas you may not have heard of:

• Good Vibrations has a line of vibrating shoes.  Right now, the styles are unisex (not stylish, but I guess that's not the point), and a pair costs $60.00. (via Styledash)

• Industrial engineer Marte den Hollander created "Footloose," a patented shoe design that allows you to switch between high heels and flats with one easy flick.  Currently not in production.

While you can't buy those convertable heels, you can purchase high heel inserts to help with the pain (or, you know, wear flats).  Here are two ideas:

• Not martha recommends Foot Petals, a line of shoe inserts that provide much-needed cushioning and grip.  I like the Tip Toes, which keep your toes from sliding forward and scrunching; they also have products for chafing ankle straps and shoe backs.

• Another idea is Insolia, a high heel insert that redistributes body weight, taking pressure off your toes and placing more weight on the heel.  It looks promising, and could be paired with Tip Toes for maximum comfort.
  

Finally, not sure you'll want to buy these, but they are interesting:

• After Isaac Daniel's son was wrongly reported as missing, the engineer created GPS-enabled sneakers (above).  They're currently only in adult sizes, are limited edition, and expensive ($325 to $350, plus a monthly fee); however, children's shoes are in the works, and I can see concerned parents buying them if the price goes down.  Read more here. (via fashion.psfk)

• From REEF, a pair of flip-flops that holds 3 oz of liquid in each shoe--flip-flop flasks.  Disgusting, but clever. (via Gizmodo)