Below is the exact replica of the ruby slippers known as "the traveling shoes" that were stolen from the Judy Garland museum in 2005.

They are size 5.5, and the sequins are rich burgundy which were also used on stolen ruby slippers, known to be darker in color than other pairs of ruby slippers. This replica ruby slippers is made from vintage 1930's pumps from the days of The Wizard of Oz.

The jewels and sequins were hand-sewn, and the jewels on the bows have been aged to match its appearance today.

Judy Garland's size 5.5 replica ruby slippers

Inside the right shoe is the label, reading Innes Shoe Co. Los Angeles, Hollywood, Pasadena. Written in block letters is meant to be the name "JUDY GARLAND" as they appear on the original ruby slippers but I haven't put it in yet.

The bow and label of Judy Garland's size 5.5
replica ruby slippers

Judy Garland's size 5B replica ruby slippers

These are the sequins used to make our ruby slippers, red and dark burgundy color. According to Rhys Thomas, the author of "The Ruby Slippers of Oz", different ruby slippers come in different shades of ruby red, from bright to dark burgundy.

We mostly like red metallic sequins because of the way they shine on the ruby slippers. The sequin itself is tiny, just 5mm and quite strong in that it is very hard to bend. 

Exactly like the original ruby slippers, every sequin is hand sewn so it's a very tedious and time-consuming job. It's not something that you can finish in one day, or one week. Around 4,600 sequins needs to be sewn and it takes a lot of concentration and commitment in order to make a genuine pair of ruby slippers like they produced for The Wizard of Oz in 1938.

Bag of red and dark burgundy sequins

Red sequin

The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy have magical powers in The Wizard of Oz, and that's what these replica ruby slippers possess.       

These are high quality pieces of Hollywood memorabilia that I would rate as one of the best hand-sewn replica ruby slippers in the world because the right materials are used, and they look just as beautiful as what Judy Garland as Dorothy wore on the Yellow Brick Road.

The magical ruby slippers

When people come to see our ruby slippers, they tend to observe the bow so it's really important that we get it right otherwise it wouldn't be an exact replica.

So today, I'm going to demonstrate how I make the bow for the ruby slippers. I've already spent a good 3 hours hand-sewing some of the jewels on a red fabric overlay, and listening to some Judy Garland songs to keep me entertained while I'm at it. The bow below is still half finished and needs a few more hours to complete, and remember I also need to make a second bow and it goes to show what the seamstresses and tailors at MGM had to endure in 1938.

Basically, I sew the jewels onto an overlay, and then sew the completed overlay onto a a thin red leather, no glue is used on any part of the bow. This is a world-class bow reproduction that uses the same technique as MGM.

Making the bow for the ruby slippers

The safe box is in a private location.

And here is one of the finished bows that I made. One of the closest bows in the world that Judy Garland as Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz (1939). This bow will later be sewed directly onto my next pair of ruby slippers.

In summary, I sewed the jewels onto a fabric overlay, then I sewed the fabric overlay onto the leather and making sure that the leather is visible around the edges.

Aternatively, I could have aged the jewels but that would get rid of the shine. I could have also thinned the leather to make it look more authentic. Rumor has it that the leather on the original ruby slippers were thinned down to make them flexible but that's a matter of debate.

The finished bow for my ruby slippers

Not necessarily.

Some ruby slipper makers start from the bottom and work their way to top of the shoe, while others start from the top to the bottom and slightly tucking the new line of sequins under the preceding line so there is a bit of overlap.

Either way works, and the end result is to make sure that the pattern of the sequins are placed slightly over the top of each other like scales on a fish or shingles on a roof.

Ruby slippers are beautiful and it's a lovely piece of the past.

Any thread is suitable. I use polyester, but what's more important is to use the color of the thread that matches the color of the sequins because I don't want the thread to be extremely visible on the ruby slippers.

For instance if my sequins are red, then I would use red thread to sew them onto the shoe.