Ruby Slippers

[ChristineSprig]

The Wizard of Oz is an amazing film and I have grown up watching it for so many years taking it for granted that this film was made in 1939.

A recent vintage event announcement has reminded me of this, and I have decided to make a pair. (eek!) I did some research and found a blueprint for the sequin design and all, however there is one thing that is truly troubling me.

What should I use as a base shoe?

I started reading up and there are a bunch of Wizard of Oz enthusiasts that are taking perfectly good vintage pumps and ruining them by covering them in sequins, filing down the heels and tearing out the inner original labels to make replicas. The thought of doing this absolutely kills me. I cannot possibly do this unless the surface of the shoes that I find are already in disrepair.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Paisley]

If it's for something like a costume party, you could get a pair of basic pumps at a thrift store. If you need something more accurate, these shoes might work:

http://www.danceshoesonline.com/tags/dsol/women_pump/680104.htm

Compare the shape and heel height to the originals at the Smithsonian:

 

[ChristineSprig]

Thank you! I am not one to usually just throw something together, especially when it comes to anything vintage. I try to replicate or find the actual pieces, if possible. The link may just work!

 

[Miss 1929]

I admit to selling a pair of early 30s pumps to a ruby slipper fabricator, but their outer fabric was trashed, so it was OK for them to be recovered. Nothing wrong with making an otherwise unwearable pair into a wearable pair!

 

[ChristineSprig]

Agreed. Giving something new life is always ok, but I feel so sick reading all of these people's blogs where they say that they found vintage pumps with a good heel and decided to glue and sew glitter and sequins on them. I wonder how many pairs of beautiful 30s pumps are now hidden by glitz?

 

[Lauren]

I've also sold a few pairs to someone who makes the pumps. Admittedly, one was in fabulous condition but were teensy tiny and he was so nice.
I ditto scouring the thrift stores. I've heard of people building up heels with fimo clay to make them the correct shape but I've never tried it myself and don't know how to go about it. [huh]

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

I was fortunate to see a pair of the Ruby Slippers on display when the Freedom Train toured a neighboring town in the 70's. I was amazed at how small they were!

Here's some info from Wikipedia that you might find useful as it states the company who made the white satin shoe that was transformed into the legendary slippers!

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

original pair on display at the SmithsonianThe ruby slippers were designed by Gilbert Adrian. It is speculated that at least seven pairs were made in Judy Garland's sizes 5 and 6; four pairs used in the movie have been accounted for today, as well as one 'Arabian test pair' that was used in costume tests but not seen in the final picture. One pair is on permanent exhibition at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[1] This pair does not match (the right bow is higher than left; see picture), fueling speculation that more of the slippers may exist. The other pairs are owned by private collectors Philip Samuels and David Elkouby. A very elaborate curled-toe(Arabian) pair, not used in the film, is owned by actress and memorabilia preservationist Debbie Reynolds. Another unused, bugle-beaded pair was made while Richard Thorpe directed the film. The whereabouts of that pair are unknown. :

The four pairs of shoes used in the film were originally white silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company in Los Angeles, and bear an embossed gold or silver stamp, or an embroidered cloth label, on the white kid leather sole of the right shoe. At the time, many movie studios used plain white silk shoes because they were inexpensive and easily dyed. It is likely that most of the shoes worn by female characters in The Wizard of Oz were plain Innes shoes with varying heel heights, dyed to match each costume. The shoes used for Dorothy's slippers were dyed red; then burgundy sequined organza overlays were attached to each shoe's upper and heel. The film's early 3-strip Technicolor process required the sequins to be darker than most red sequins found today; bright red sequins would have appeared orange on screen. The Art Deco-inspired bows comprised three large rectangular red glass jewels with dark-red bugle beads, outlined in orange-red glass rhinestones in silver settings. The stones and beads were sewn to a piece of red strap leather, then to the organza-covered shoe. Three pairs of the surviving slippers have orange felt glued to their soles to deaden noise. The remaining, unmuffled pair, the smallest, was used on the feet of the dead Wicked Witch of the East and possibly for close-ups of Dorothy (e.g. in Munchkinland and at the Emerald City gates). Garland wore one primary pair during shooting. This pair can be seen when the Witch tries to grab them, while holding Dorothy and her friends captive at her castle; and at the film's climax, when Dorothy taps her heels to return to Kansas. The "sister set" to this pair is owned by Michael Shaw, who obtained them from Kent Warner in 1970. This pair can clearly be seen in the final film when Dorothy shows the ruby slippers to the Emerald City doorman. This pair has been missing since it was stolen from an exhibit at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.[2] The last known pair was made for Bobbie Koshay, Judy's stunt double. This is most likely the size 6B pair (owned by Roberta Bauman, Anthony Landini, and current owner David Elkouby) whose lining says "Double" instead of "Judy Garland". Judy may have worn this pair for photos and publicity appearances after the film's primary shooting was finished in 1939.

 

[MissAmelina]

fftopic:
I did not know the ruby slippers were "Shoes by Adrian." That is so wonderful. He was the man. Seriously. If a movie says "Gowns By Adrian" I know i am in for a treat!
The big coffee table book of his on amazon is a stunner, by the way.

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

Clearly he knew what he was doing. The article continued to discuss modern day films where a version of the ruby slippers were utilized. One modern movie created an elaborately sequinned and beaded pair, but the adornment kept falling off! They gave up and used movie magic to make them seem better than they were. Wish I could recall the film. Anyway, the original ruby slippers had the good sense to affix the glitz to organza and adhere that to the shoe. Very smart! I guess you had to figure it out for real since there was no digital enhancement at your fingertips!

 

[MissAmelina]

I saw them at the Smithsonian circa 1988, and too was blown away by how little they were...and how "not sparkly" they were. The lighting was kinda bad, so to me, at the time, they just looked old. But I was expecting major glitz, guarded by winged fairies and armed munchkins. It was a letdown. Now, however, expectations would be realistic and I would be jumping for joy in vintage garb.....instead of disappointed in Esprit.
There's a big different between being 14, and being 36.