The Silver Shoes
The Silver Shoes are a pair of pointed-toe silver footwear that originally belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East. After Dorothy's house lands on and kills the Witch, the shoes are all that remain of her, as her body dries up and disappears in the sun. The Witch of the North retrieves the shoes, shakes the dust from them, and gives them to Dorothy, telling her that the Witch of the East was proud of them and that there is some charm connected with them, though what it is no one knows. Dorothy tries on the shoes and finds they fit her as if made for her, and she wears them for the rest of her journey through Oz.
Appearance and Origin
The Silver Shoes are described as having pointed toes and are made of silver. They are first seen sticking out from under a corner of the house that has crushed the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins and the Witch of the North note that the Witch of the East was proud of these shoes and that they bear a charm, though its nature is unknown to them. Dorothy, finding her own shoes old and worn, puts on the Silver Shoes and finds they fit perfectly, remarking that they would be just the thing for a long walk because they could not wear out.
Role in the Journey
Dorothy wears the Silver Shoes throughout her adventures in Oz. When she first meets Oz, the Great Wizard asks her where she got the shoes, and she tells him the story of the house falling on the Wicked Witch of the East. Oz then sets her the task of killing the Wicked Witch of the West, hinting that the shoes bear a powerful charm. Later, when the Wicked Witch of the West sees Dorothy and the Silver Shoes, she trembles with fear, knowing the powerful charm they possess. The Witch tries to steal the shoes, first by making one invisible and causing Dorothy to trip, then by snatching the fallen shoe. Dorothy, angry, throws a bucket of water at the Witch, which melts her. After the Witch's death, Dorothy retrieves the shoe, cleans and dries it, and puts it back on.
True Power and Final Use
After Dorothy and her companions return to the Emerald City and then travel to the South to seek Glinda the Good Witch's help, Glinda reveals the true power of the Silver Shoes. She tells Dorothy that the shoes have wonderful powers and can carry her to any place in the world in three steps, each step made in the wink of an eye. All Dorothy has to do is knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to take her wherever she wishes. Dorothy, overjoyed, hugs her friends goodbye, takes Toto in her arms, and claps the heels of her shoes together three times, saying, "Take me home to Aunt Em!" Instantly, she is whirled through the air, and the Silver Shoes take three steps, after which she finds herself sitting on the Kansas prairie. The Silver Shoes, however, fall off during her flight and are lost forever in the desert, leaving Dorothy in her stocking feet but safely home at last.
