11. Silver shoes and ruby slippers
The iconic ruby slippers given to Dorothy by Glinda, from the feet of the dead Wicked Witch of the East, almost never existed. In the Oz books, the magical footwear were silver shoes. When silver did not contrast sufficiently with the shade of yellow selected for the road, Louis B. Mayer suggested changing the color of the shoes to red (at least seven different colors of yellow had already been tested for the road). MGM costume designer Gilbert Adrian designed two different styles of shoes, one of which was in an Arabian style, with toes curled upward.
How many pairs of the final design were made is disputed; five pairs are known to remain in existence (including one in the Arabian design). They were made in several sizes, as Garland found that her feet swelled during a day’s shooting. Some pairs soles were covered in felt to pad the sound of her feet on the set while dancing or skipping, others, such as the pair seen on the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East, were not. Several conflicting claims over who made the slippers exist, and it is likely that several manufacturers were contracted to make the shoes as the need for additional pairs arose.