History and Legacy of the Ruby Slippers

 Along with at least 50% of the population, I loved the Wizard of Oz when I was growing up. It holds a true place of nostalgia for me and reminds me of an innocent whimsical nature. There was also this huge sense of glamour and glitz and excitement it gave, especially through the costumes. Munchkinland, Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy, and Scarecrow, were all so enchanting.

Nothing was as enchanting as those bright red pumps though.

These pumps, designed for costume, have remained a key symbol for not just theatre, but fashion, Hollywood glamour aesthetic, and American culture as well. The shoes were originally silver in the book, but the studio wanted to take advantage of new Technicolor technology. The shoes were changed to red, which contrasts in a gorgeous manner to the “yellow brick road” we see so much of in the film.

They were made by Gilbert Adrian, who was MGM studio’s chief costume designer at the time. It is said that 4-7 pairs were made for Judy to wear during production. The shoes are white pumps covered with red fabric, with painted red soles and sequins colored to match. The bows added were of stiff cotton and adorned with three kinds of beads and rhinestones.

Not many take the time to look at the impact that these shoes have made. They were constructed and shown off during a dark time of history. But the film reached everybody. Everywhere. And of all ages. Forbes says that they symbolize in the movie “the little guy’s ability to triumph over powerful forces”.

Today, the shoes are still, in a word rather appropriately used, iconic. If one thinks of the classic Hollywood aesthetic, it is likely the ruby slippers would cross their mind. This is makes it so that they are synonymous with not only the Hollywood industry, but the fashion industry as well. That’s why I think when going into making them today, they would be very simple to develop in a modern way while remaining true to the originals.

Earlier this year, one of Dolls Kills collaborations was with Wizard of Oz and they released their version of the ruby slipper. This was one of the best modern designs I have seen of the shoe. It unfortunately is sold out now, but the online brand continues to release new collaborations with other classics such as Looney Tunes, Garfield, PowerPuff girls, and many more.