a b c d e f Daley, Jason (4 September 2018). "After 13-Year Chase, F.B.I. Nabs Pair of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers". Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 4 September 2018. Bierschbach, Briana (4 September 2018). "No place like home: Dorothy's ruby slippers recovered". www.mprnews.org.

The ruby slippers are a pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Wizard of Oz. Because of their iconic stature, [1] they are among the most valuable items of film memorabilia. [2] A number of pairs were made for the film, though the exact number is unknown. Five pairs are known to have survived; one pair was stolen from a museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018. [3] [4] Rhys Thomas, author of the comprehensive 1989 book The Ruby Slippers of Oz, recalls visiting the shoes at the Smithsonian decades ago and seeing a young girl approach the display case, put her hands on it, and say, “Magic.” “The Ruby Slippers are an enduring symbol of the power of belief,” he says. “ The Wizard of Oz is America’s only true original fairy tale. . . . Then you combine it with star power, Judy Garland. . . and you get an iconic piece of cultural heritage. People just won’t let go of it.” Thankfully, a month or so ago, I did find both the books at my local Target (of all places) and my son then pulled them out of one of my many ‘to read’ piles and insisted on them. So we cuddled together on the couch and were introduced to the lovely world of Ruby (and her Red Shoes)

One pair, known as "the People's Shoes", is on public display at the Smithsonian Institution. However, the shoes do not belong together; their actual mates are the mismatched pair (left sized 5C, right 5BC) stolen in 2005 and recovered in 2018. [7] [11] I knew we had the work cut out for us,” says Richard Barden, the Preservation Services manager. “When you really start looking at the slippers, you see how many different materials they are. And with each material you have to consider its condition, its physical state, what the materials are made of, how they deteriorate, what environmental factors affect them.” A single sequin contains multiple components that the conservators had to consider: a gelatin core, silver lining, cellulose nitrate coating and dye in the coating. For next year, designers have presented a range of shoe trends, including, but not limited to, a continuation of Mary Janes and styles finished in rich ruby red that echo the season's defining colour. I'll admit, 90% of the shoe trends for 2024 aren't exactly practical either—there are bows, fragile heels, and soft fabrications to eat up. But they are fun, and will bring joy to even your most basic outfits. However, if comfort really is your main concern, rest assured there is a shoe waiting for you.

The Ruby Slippers have always been “pretty much the holy grail of all Hollywood memorabilia,” says Thomas, the author. But now, according to Thomas, they are entering “a forensic era,” in which people are examining them more closely than ever before, including the Smithsonian conservators and the FBI. “The Smithsonian has now had the opportunity to look at two pairs side by side,” Thomas says. “That’s the first time any two pairs of the shoes have been together in the same room since Kent Warner brought them home from the MGM lot in 1970.” Her studio, Twigseeds, has given flight to a world of colourful characters, including the charming and much loved aware hare and children's book character, Ruby Red Shoes. Burnside, Tina; Holland, Oscar (May 18, 2023). "Minnesota man indicted over theft of ruby slippers from 'The Wizard of Oz' ". CNN.There’s obvious wear of age and in natural deterioration in fading,” says Dawn Wallace, a Smithsonian objects conservator, about their condition before the conservation, but structurally the shoes were stable. The last known pair may have been made for Bobbie Koshay, Garland's stunt double. [15] This is most likely the size 6B pair (owned first by Roberta Bauman, then Anthony Landini, and currently by David Elkouby) whose lining says "Double" instead of "Judy Garland". However, some believe this pair may have been the second pair created, therefore explaining the "Double" in the lining, but still worn by Garland and Koshay. [16] Several pairs of Garland's own shoes are size 6 1⁄ 2. Also, Garland can be seen wearing this pair in photos taken after the film's primary shooting was finished in 1939.

The four surviving pairs were made from white silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company in Los Angeles. At the time, many movie studios used plain white silk shoes because they were inexpensive and easy to dye. 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. There is an embossed gold or silver stamp or an embroidered cloth label bearing the name of the company inside each right shoe. [9] I first heard about Ruby Red Shoes when I was wrapping up the 2014 Readings Children’s Book Prize (where its sequel was shortlisted). It certainly looked beautiful, but at the time neither the original or its sequel were easily found in my local bookshops or department stores, so I filed it away in the ‘nice to read it if I ever find it’ part of my mind. a b c "Dorothy's Ruby Slippers". National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008 . Retrieved May 20, 2008. The slippers are part of the twelve "Foundation Elements" in the 2015 toys-to-life video game LEGO Dimensions.It turned out that the stolen pair is the mismatched twin of the Smithsonian pair. But given inconsistencies between the two pairs, Thomas believes the mix-up happened at the time they were made, not after filming, as others have speculated.