Perhaps the most famous pair of shoes in history is the Ruby Slippers, donned by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The magical pair of red shoes were first seen in the 1939 MGM film, and were based on the Silver Shoes from the original novel.
The shoes’ origin lies in the political climate during which the original book was written. The Silver Shoes were meant to pair with the Yellow Brick Road. While the road represented the Gold Standard, the Silver Shoes – which allowed Dorothy to travel in comfort in the book – represented the Populist Party’s desire to have a standard of both gold and silver instead. The book is known for having many political references and for being a commentary on the climate at the time in addition to being a work of fantasy.
The decision to change the shoes from silver to red had little to do with any political disagreements – it really just boiled down to what would look better on screen. Screenwriter Noel Langley is widely credited with the idea to change the shoes to red in order to take advantage of the Technicolor technology of the era.
The Ruby Slippers seen in the film weren’t the first design created. A test pair in an “Arabian” style was created first, and it featured heels and curling toes. This was scrapped before filming began as the style clashed with Dorothy’s otherwise down to earth farm girl look. The second pair also required modification before going onscreen, as the beads used to create the ruby look were too heavy and replaced with sequins.
Five pairs of the shoes seen onscreen are known to have survived; one can still be seen at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. For Wizard of Oz fans looking to get their hands on a pair, though, Hake’s Americana & Collectibles currently has the next best thing – an official replica pair created for the film’s 50th anniversary in 1989.
These are some of the only authorized reproductions of the original shoe, created by Western Costume. They were cast from Judy Garland’s original foot mold, and only 22 total sets were made. One recently fetched $35,000 at an auction in 2013. A video highlighting the slippers can be seen below.
