A closer look
Soviet spies in the Cold War spent considerable time and resources trying to plant miniature microphones into the heels of diplomatic shoes. The KGB successfully managed to install these crude bugs into the footwear of the American ambassador in Eastern Europe, hoping to pick up highly classified intelligence during his casual strolls. Unfortunately, the tiny batteries drained incredibly fast, the audio quality was mostly just the deafening sound of aggressive footsteps, and the entire operation proved wildly inefficient compared to just bribing a secretary. It is a wonderful historical reminder that international espionage is rarely as glamorous as James Bond movies make it seem, often consisting instead of grumpy middle-aged men listening to hours of literal shoe squeaks
