The Wizard of Oz, Handmade Ruby Slippers Replica 1989

made from scratch movie costume

These are the Ruby Slippers I made in 1989 for the 50th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz.

I wanted my pair to have the correct shape, but it wasn't until I worked at a theatre that was getting rid of it's costume stock that I found authentic 30's/40's pumps but I had to take two shoes, one pair with the correct body shape and another pair with the correct heel shape. I pried off the heels of one pair and nailed them to the other pair and finally had the shape I desired.

I went out to the fashion district in New York and found acceptable sequins and real glass rhinestones and bugle beads. These shoes were constructed to the specifications in the blueprint included in the book THE RUBY SLIPPERS OF OZ except that I used milliner's glue to attach the sequins instead of sewing them to a silk georgette and sewing that to the pumps. 

I love the fact that the shoes are the actual age  of the film (almost 81 years old) and that my replicas themselves are now almost 31 years old since I made them in 1989 and they have a faded look to them that comes close to the real slippers that I've seen in person.

I hope you like them.