Significance of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers in The Wizard of Oz

Originally published on June 30, 2026. This article examines the significance of Dorothy Gale’s ruby slippers in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

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In The Wizard of Oz, protagonist Dorothy Gale wears brown pigtails, a blue and white dress, and the most memorable shoes you’ve ever seen. The ruby slippers are an incredible image. Both narratively significant and visually stunning, the ruby slippers have become a sensational symbol of their own over the past decades. Below, learn more about this fantasy footwear and why the shoes are so beloved.

Fun facts about the ruby slippers:

• In the novel, the slippers are silver.
• They are the most valuable film memorabilia in the world.
• The ruby slippers originally belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East.
• Dorothy’s ruby slippers are magical.

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In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the slippers are silver.

• MGM changed the color for Technicolor film.
• Costume designer Gilbert Adrian created the ruby slippers.

“Somewhere over the rainbow…”

The Wizard of Oz is adapted from L. Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In that book, Dorothy’s slippers are actually silver colored. Dorothy’s silver shoes are magically enhanced. However, the author never provides an explanation for that charm, nor an origin for the silver shoes themselves. When screenwriter Noel Langley took on the film adaption, he decided to swap the footwear to ruby slippers.

Why did the film creators change the slipper color?

The reason? He thought they would look better onscreen because of the three-strip Technicolor. At the time, big-budget Hollywood films, especially those “talkies” now classified under the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” utilized this color motion picture progress extensively. Flashy musicals with massive ensemble casts, sprawling sets, and literally hundreds of costumes were eye-catching and appealed widely to audiences who were previously accustomed to black-and-white silent films.

Given the opportunity, then, who would want silver shoes that would look dull in a color landscape? Silver was a color of the past. Ruby red was a bold choice — one that became synonymous with Hollywood innovation. Thus, ruby slippers also became an indelible pop culture symbol.

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They are the most valuable film memorabilia in the world.

• Only five pairs of the shoes exist today.
• The exact number of shoes made is unknown.

Moviemaking requires hours of devotion to costume pieces. Industry teams assemble multiple versions to use in different scenes. Sometimes this is due to the natural wear or destruction a clothing item or accessory might receive due to the plot. Think of a ripped shirt because of a character injury, or a wet jacket because of a storm (like Gene Kelley in Singin’ in the Rain). Otherwise, the wardrobe department constructs a few versions just in case something breaks or goes missing. After all, there’s a lot of walking and dancing in The Wizard of Oz; shoes fall apart, stunt performers need different sizes. Directors pivot. Departments adjust.

Of course, we don’t know the exact number of shoes made for The Wizard of Oz set. In modern day, only five pairs of ruby slippers have survived. One screen-worn pair are on display at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.. Others are in archival storage or displayed elsewhere. They are valued so highly that an intrepid thief stole a pair from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in August 2005. The heist garnered such national attention that it became the subject of a 2015 documentary — Ruby Red Handed: Stealing America’s Most Famous Pair of Shoes (2025).

What makes the shoes so valuable?

At first glance, gem-encrusted shoes seem extremely valuable. But the “rubies” on the ruby slippers are not real. They’re just sequins, with the occasional heavy bugle bead. Like many historically or culturally significant items, especially those produced in California, they are valuable because of the mystique and prestige placed on them by fans. Actress Judy Garland’s own fame provides an additional level of intrigue and worth to what were once simply old props.

In fact, many of the ruby slippers were forgotten in basements and treated with total indifference until The Wizard of Oz‘s cult classic status skyrocketed. At that point, materials from The Wizard of Oz resurfaced from MGM’s basement for auction. The rest is history.

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The ruby slippers originally belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East.

• Glinda transfers the shoes to Dorothy’s feet after the Witch dies.
• The Wicked Witch of the West attempts to claim the shoes throughout the film.

In the land of Oz, the ruby slippers originally belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East. After a tornado takes Dorothy from Kansas to Oz, she and the Munchkins discover the Witch crushed under a house. The image of her striped stockings and ruby slippers sticking out from underneath the wood paneling is highly recognizable even to people who haven’t seen the film. Although Dorothy feels remorse for her role in the Witch’s death, the Good Witch of the North, Glinda, assuages her guilt.

Then, Glinda transfers the ruby slippers to Dorothy. She advises Dorothy not to remove them, since they are enchanted. Although Glinda does not share the shoes’ exact properties, she does emphasize that if the Wicked Witch of the West wants them so badly, they must be significant. Dorothy spends the rest of The Wizard of Oz being pursued by the Wicked Witch and her Flying Monkeys. She’ll get that pretty girl — and her dog, and her slippers, too!

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Dorothy’s ruby slippers are magical.

• They protect the wearer.
• Dorothy also uses the slippers to return to Kansas.

By the end, Dorothy discovers the ruby slippers have protected her from various perils. Most importantly, however, the shoes can transport the wearer anywhere they wish. After a tearful and emotional farewell to her new friends, Dorothy decides to return to Kansas. Her heart’s desire, she’s realized, is more beautiful than an emerald-encrusted city and its deceptive leader. Everything Dorothy wants exists in her own backyard.

Wearing the ruby slippers, Dorothy knocks her heels together three times. She commands them to return her home. When she awakens in Kansas, the shoes have fallen off en route, never to be found again — by the character, that is. Fans can check out the ruby slippers onscreen or in various MGM collections around the United States.

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Have you learned something new about Hollywood history? How do you feel about Dorothy Gale’s iconic red ruby slippers? And where would you go if you could simply click your heels?

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to side.show/geekgroup or the Sideshow Social Network, where you can discuss the film with other fantasy fans. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!