Why Nessarose’s Slippers Are Silver (& Not Ruby) in ‘Wicked: For Good’

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The musical Wicked and its follow-up, Wicked: For Good, borrow imagery from the classic film The Wizard of Oz. However, there’s a key difference: the enchanted shoes. In Wicked, the Wicked Witch of the East, Nessarose, wears shoes that once belonged to her mother and were gifted to her by her father on their first day at Shizz University. These are the same shoes Dorothy famously wears after accidentally killing the Witch of the East when her house lands in Oz. But while the shoes are bright ruby red in the 1939 film, they are silver in Wicked.

Ever wonder why the shoes in Wicked aren’t ruby red, like in the original Wizard of Oz? The change actually goes back to the book the musical is based on, and legal issues surrounding copyright. However, Wicked: For Good still finds a clever way to nod to the iconic ruby slippers. Here’s the story behind why Nessarose, and later Dorothy, wear silver shoes in this version.

The Ruby Slippers Are Owned by MGM


MGM Studios

In the original Wizard of Oz book, Dorothy got silver shoes from the Wicked Witch of the East (named Nessarose in Wicked). But when the movie was being made in 1939, the filmmakers changed the shoes to ruby red. Screenwriter Noel Langley suggested the change to make the most of the film’s vibrant three-strip Technicolor. This seemingly small decision created one of the most famous props in movie history. However, it also meant that later stories couldn’t use the ruby slippers, becoming a defining feature of the original film alone.

As a huge movie fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the details behind classic films. It’s interesting to learn that those incredible ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are actually trademarked! Unlike the original books, which anyone can use, the movie’s ruby slippers are owned by Warner Bros. (they bought the rights from MGM). So, if anyone wants to make another Wizard of Oz movie or show and include those famous shoes, they have to get permission – and pay for it! Apparently, even Disney had to pay MGM a fee when they made Return to Oz back in 1986 to be able to reference the original film’s imagery.

Because MGM and Warner Bros. now control the rights to the iconic ruby slippers, most modern versions of The Wizard of Oz are going back to the original story’s silver shoes. When the TV show Once Upon a Time adapted the story for its third season, they also used silver shoes. Even Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful didn’t focus on the Wicked Witch of the East’s shoes, and it’s likely Disney didn’t want to pay for the rights to use the ruby slippers again.

How ‘Wicked’ Manages to Pay Homage to the Ruby Slippers


Universal Pictures

Though the movies Wicked and Wicked: For Good don’t directly show the ruby slippers, they cleverly include them. In Wicked, Galinda (Ariana Grande) briefly shows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) a pair of ruby shoes during the song “Popular” before discarding them. Later, in Wicked: For Good, Elphaba magically enchants the silver shoes her mother gave Nessa (Marissa Bode), causing them to glow red and allowing her to fly. Interestingly, the idea of the shoes lighting up red when activated actually started in the original Wicked stage musical.

As a huge movie fan, I really appreciate the clever way they’re handling the shoes in the new adaptation! The slippers aren’t actually red all the time – the red color only shows up when the magic is working. That little detail seems to be a smart way to avoid copyright issues – honestly, if you could copyright ruby-colored magic, Disney would’ve done it ages ago with Scarlet Witch! It feels like a respectful nod to The Wizard of Oz and what fans expect. Plus, it adds a cool layer to the story: Elphaba, the character, is the one who originally enchanted the shoes that will eventually help Dorothy get home. And here’s the really neat part – in the Wicked story, when Dorothy clicks the silver shoes, they glow red! So, they’re cleverly blending the silver shoes from the original book with the iconic ruby slippers from the movie, honoring both L. Frank Baum’s work and the beloved 1939 film.

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2025-11-29 04:23