Everyone knows the sound. That sharp, rhythmic click-click-click of heels hitting the yellow brick road. If you close your eyes, you can almost see the shimmering red light reflecting off the floor. But here is the thing about dorothy the wizard of oz shoes—they shouldn't have been red at all. In L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the footwear was silver. Just plain, magical silver.
Why the change? Technicolor.
Back in 1939, MGM was obsessed with showing off its new, expensive color process. Silver looked dull on screen. It washed out against the vibrant painted backgrounds of Munchkinland. Screenwriter Noel Langley and the production team decided they needed something that popped. They needed "Ruby Slippers." And just like that, a piece of silver literature became a scarlet cinematic icon. Honestly, it’s arguably the most successful branding pivot in the history of Hollywood.
The Secret Construction of the Ruby Slippers
You might think these were high-end Italian pumps or something fancy. They weren't. They were basically cheap, mass-produced pumps from the 1930s. The costume department, led by the legendary Gilbert Adrian, took basic silk shoes and dyed them red. Then, they covered them in tinted burgundy lace. On top of that lace, they hand-sewed thousands of sequins.
Wait. Not thousands. Tens of thousands.
Each shoe had about 2,300 sequins. If you look at high-resolution photos of the pairs held by the Smithsonian, you'll notice the sequins aren't actually red. They are more of a dark maroon. Why? Because bright red sequins looked orange under the incredibly harsh, hot studio lights of the 1930s. The deep burgundy color translated to that "perfect" ruby red on film.
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It’s also worth noting that Dorothy didn’t just have one pair. She had several. In the world of high-stakes film production, you can’t rely on a single prop. If a heel snaps during a dance number with the Scarecrow, you’re losing thousands of dollars every hour the cameras aren't rolling. There were at least five or six primary pairs made for Judy Garland, plus "test" pairs and pairs for her stunt double, Bobbie Koshay.
The Felt Mystery
If you’ve ever watched the movie closely during the dance sequences, you might notice something weird. The shoes don't click as loudly as you’d expect on a wooden stage. That’s because the production team glued orange felt to the soles of several pairs. This was a practical move to muffle the sound of footsteps so they wouldn't interfere with the live audio recording of the actors' dialogue and singing. It’s a tiny, "invisible" detail that proves how much movie magic is just DIY problem-solving.
Where Are the Surviving Pairs Now?
Tracking down the real dorothy the wizard of oz shoes is basically a full-time job for some historians. Because they were just "props" at the time, MGM didn't treat them like crown jewels. They were tossed into storage. It wasn't until decades later that people realized they were worth millions.
- The Smithsonian Pair: This is the most famous set. They’ve been at the National Museum of American History since 1979. Fun fact: they are actually a mismatched pair. One is a size 5B, the other is a 5C.
- The Academy Pair: Bought by a group of donors including Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg. They are slated for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
- The "Witch's" Pair: These are the ones seen on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East under the house. They have a slightly different shape and were famously owned by collector Philip Samuels.
- The Stolen Pair: This is the wildest story in Hollywood history.
In 2005, a pair of slippers was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. A thief literally smashed a window, broke a plexiglass case, and vanished. For 13 years, they were gone. The FBI eventually recovered them in a sting operation in 2018. It turns out an elderly mob associate named Terry Martin had stolen them, thinking the sequins were real rubies. He was disappointed to find out they were just glass and plastic.
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It’s about more than just a movie. These shoes represent the idea of agency. Think about the plot: Dorothy had the power to go home the entire time. She just didn't know how to use it. Glinda the Good Witch basically gatekeeps the information until Dorothy undergoes a psychological journey.
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There's also the "relic" factor. To film buffs, these aren't just shoes; they are physical connections to Judy Garland's performance. Garland was only 16 when she filmed the movie, and she was famously put through the wringer by the studio. The shoes are a symbol of her endurance.
Spotting the Fakes and Replicas
If you go to a memorabilia convention, you'll see a dozen "authentic" replicas. But real ones have specific markers. Look for the "Innes Shoe Co." labels inside. Look for the specific way the bows are attached—they weren't just glued on; they were wired. The bows themselves feature three large red glass jewels and a series of smaller rhinestones.
The Smithsonian actually did a massive Kickstarter campaign a few years ago called "Keep Them Ruby." They raised over $700,000 to conserve the shoes. The problem is that the sequins are made of gelatin and plastic. They are literally rotting. The light and oxygen cause the red coating to flake off, leaving a dull, clear base. To keep dorothy the wizard of oz shoes looking red, they have to be kept in a low-oxygen, climate-controlled chamber with very specific lighting.
How to Value Your Own Oz Collection
Maybe you don't have $3.5 million for an original pair. Most of us don't. But the market for high-end replicas and licensed "Wizard of Oz" items is massive.
- Check the License: Items produced by MGM or Warner Bros. hold value much better than "unauthorized" boutique versions.
- Materials Matter: Cheap plastic sequins look like toys. Serious collectors look for glass beads and silk overlays.
- Provenance: If you’re buying something claimed to be "screen-used," you need a paper trail that goes back to the 1970 MGM auction. If the seller can't provide that, it’s probably a fake.
Honestly, the "silver vs. red" debate still rages in certain literary circles. Some purists think the movie ruined the symbolism. In the book, the silver shoes represented the "Silver Standard" in a political allegory about populism. By making them red, Hollywood stripped away the politics and replaced it with pure, unadulterated spectacle. But let’s be real: would we still be talking about these shoes 85 years later if they were just grey? Probably not.
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Actionable Steps for Oz Fans
If you want to see the real deal, your best bet is the Smithsonian in D.C., but always check their "Current Exhibitions" page first. They occasionally take them off the floor for "rest."
For those looking to collect, start by studying the work of Rhys Thomas. He wrote The Ruby Slippers of Oz, which is basically the Bible for anyone trying to understand the different pairs and their journeys through various owners.
Don't buy into the "curse" myths either. Some people say the shoes bring bad luck to whoever owns them (citing the theft and various bankruptcies of previous owners). In reality, they are just incredibly fragile, incredibly expensive pieces of textile history that require a museum-grade HVAC system to survive.
If you're DIY-ing a pair for a costume, avoid "ruby red" glitter spray. It looks flat. Instead, look for "hexagonal loose sequins" in a dark pomegranate shade. Use a clear-drying fabric adhesive. It takes forever, but the way they catch the light will be much closer to the 1939 Technicolor glow than anything you can buy off a shelf at a Halloween store.