Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz (1939)
These size five, red-sequined high heels may be the most famous shoes in the movie industry. Sixteen-year-old Judy Garland wore these, and six duplicate pairs in her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in MGM’s 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz. One of seven pairs made for the film, these shoes have been comfortably displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of American History since their donation in 1979.
Only three other verified pairs remain, and those pairs have had their own movie-worthy adventures. One pair was given to the winner of a movie trivia contest in 1940. These recently went on sale in 2018 for $6 million. Another set was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005, having only been recovered by the FBI in 2018. In 2005, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and affiliates purchased a pair for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum.
