Why Are Dorothy’s Slippers Not Red in Wicked? An Explanation of Shoe Color Choices

Dorothy’s iconic red slippers are closely associated with The Wizard of Oz, yet audiences shouldn’t anticipate her wearing the ruby footwear in Wicked: For Good.

In 2024’s Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu, viewers catch a brief glimpse of Dorothy from behind as she strolls down the Yellow Brick Road accompanied by Toto, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man. Notably absent from her feet are the shimmering red heels, a detail that is also missing in the trailers for 2025’s Wicked: For Good.

However, that wasn’t the only surprising twist regarding Dorothy in this new chapter of the franchise. Chu disclosed prior to the release of the Wicked sequel that we won’t even see Dorothy’s face throughout the film.

“I wanted to avoid intruding on who you perceive Dorothy to be based on the stories you’ve encountered,” Chu explained to People in April 2025, adding that Wicked: For Good “remains focused on Elphaba and Glinda’s journey, with her as a pawn in between.”

Continue reading to learn why Dorothy’s slippers are not red in Wicked:

What Color Are Dorothy’s Shoes in ‘Wicked’?

Dorothy wears silver slippers in Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

Why Dorothy’s Slippers Aren’t Red in ‘Wicked’ and the Sequel

Dorothy’s slippers have a storied history that spans more than a century. MGM created the groundbreaking musical fantasy, The Wizard of Oz, in 1939, based on L. Frank Baum‘s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Nearly 100 years after the release of the book, Gregory Maguire introduced the first of his novels in the The Wicked Years series in 1995, titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

In Baum’s rendition of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sported silver slippers. Similarly, the shoes were silver in The Wicked Years. However, in MGM’s film adaptation, she infamously wore ruby slippers “to make the most of new Technicolor technology,” as stated by the National Museum of American History. The film became “notable for its lavish use of Technicolor,” a “motion-picture method utilizing dye-transfer techniques to create a color print,” according to Britannica.

In essence, the silver slippers depicted in Wicked serve as a tribute to the original novel.

When discussing Dorothy’s portrayal in Wicked, Chu was questioned if the omission of the red slippers had any relation to copyright issues held by MGM.

“We faced limitations on what we could reference. We intentionally never used the ruby slippers,” Chu explained to Variety in November 2024. “Nessa wears crystal slippers as described in Baum’s work, Maguire’s novel, and the stage production.”

Chu also highlighted another aspect of Wicked that deviated from The Wizard of Oz.

“I don’t believe the term ‘yellow brick road’ is copyrighted, but certainly the shape of the road is,” he remarked. “We couldn’t replicate the spiral. We needed to create a circle that clearly shows the road doesn’t have an end.”

Wicked’s Costume Designer Discusses Dorothy’s Shoe Color

Paul Tazewell, the costume designer for Wicked, aimed to honor the original novel when selecting the color for Dorothy’s shoes.

“They’re not ruby,” Tazewell stated to People in November 2024. “In the book, they were these peculiar silver boots.”

He elaborated, “There’s the notion of Cinderella and the glass slipper, and then how we transform shoes into a myth within our fantasy fairy tale narratives. In the book, they were silver shoes, later evolving into crystal and silver shoes.”

Chu also shared insights on the design of Dorothy’s shoes in Wicked during bonus commentary in the movie’s digital release.

“If you observe the crystal shoes, they are crafted to resemble two tornadoes, or one tornado on each heel. They’re stunning,” he remarked.

Chu continued, “I’m not sure how they fit or whether they are comfortable, as they don’t appear to be very easy to wear. I’ve never tried them on, but they are beautiful.”