The Ruby Slippers Project Replicating the Most Famous Shoes in Hollywood History

Today, a pair of the ruby slippers will be sold at auction. Not just any pair, but those worn by Judy Garland when Glinda magics them off the Wicked Witch of the East’s feet and proclaims, ‘There they are, and there they’ll stay,’ they are the most pristine, and best made, of the five pairs [...]

As everyone who has followed this blog is aware, these slippers have taken well over thirteen months, and several hundred, if not thousands of hours to complete. (I won’t even attempt to do the actual math – it would be insane!) But, what you see as the end result in these slippers was not a [...]

Over the past week, I have ultimately remade the bow on the left shoe twice again before being satisfied with the result. Having now created several tests of the bow over the course of the past few months (three pairs?), I fully understand why every authentic bow is unique, with variations in shape

Anyone who remotely knows the ruby slippers is familiar with their distinctive art deco bows, and those bows, more than any other aspect of the slippers, have stressed and worried me, giving me (truly) sleepless nights. I have, in all honesty, been seriously studying the bows specifically as long as

I began the bows by modifying the stones I received to bring them even more in line with the originals. Like mine, the original stones are simple craft stones, made of red glass. Unlike mine, as I mentioned in a previous post, they have a gold-foil backing. Fearing that the replica stones lack of su

I was contacted a few days ago, and the custom cut stones for the bows were finished, and finally cut to the exact specifications of the originals. Ultimately, it only took them three attempts to cut them authentically, after I initially placed the order last December! But, judging from the stones o

Clearly, this blog has not been updated in quite some time. I have been contacted by various individuals asking, rightfully, if it ever would be! Let me put those fears to rest. No, I haven’t lost interest in the project, and no, I have not simply given up. For the past few months, I have [...]

After seven months of near constant work, the replica Innes shoes are now fully sequined. It took much longer than I ever expected, but I have to admit I’m quite pleased with them! To begin finishing the sequining, as with the … Continue reading →

After seven months of near constant work, the replica Innes shoes are now fully sequined. It took much longer than I ever expected, but I have to admit I’m quite pleased with them! To begin finishing the sequining, as with the toe and lower heel, I worked alternatively from each side of the shoe, wo

Since starting this blog in September 2010, there is a single query I receive more than any other, simply: Where did you acquire your replica Innes shoes, and how much did they cost? While I quite welcome anyone to message me with … Continue reading →