It is frequently reported that Judy Garland's ruby slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz are the most expensive shoes ever sold at auction. They fetched some $660,000 in a sale more than 20 years ago. However, those slippers are not the most expensive shoes ever made. Not by a long shot.
You are not wearing ruby slippers on your feet, right? Still, your shoes are just as valuable. They cost good money you are not willing to throw away by being careless. That is the very reason we created GC Tech waterproof shoe covers for men. Our men's shoe covers are made with high tech materials that keep the weather out while ensuring that you remain comfortable and safe in rain, sleet, or snow.
We'd like to think that Dorothy would have chosen GC Tech shoe covers had she needed something to protect her ruby slippers. But that's just a story. Your life is reality. So is the fact that expensive shoes can easily be ruined if exposed to weather and environmental conditions.
The Original Ruby Slippers
The original ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are an integral part of the story of Dorothy's visit to the land of Oz and her subsequent return home. Believe it or not, costume designers didn't create just a single pair of slippers for the film. At least five pairs were made, but there are probably more that have long since been lost.
None of the slippers used in the film were made with real rubies. Instead, costume designers relied on colored beads, glass rhinestones, and red sequins. The shoes themselves were a standard pair of pumps dyed red before all the glitter was attached.
More Expensive Ruby Slippers
Dorothy's ruby slippers were by no means cheap to make. But they also don't compare to more expensive ruby slippers created by Ronald Winston in the late 1980s. He designed his own version of the iconic Hollywood shoes using genuine rubies and diamonds. According to Money Inc., the actual price tag placed on the shoes was in the $3 million range. That is what you get when you use 50 carats of diamonds and 1,350 carats of rubies.
Surprisingly, even Winston's ruby slippers are not the most expensive pair of shoes ever made. That title belongs to a pair of Passion Diamond Shoes worth more than $17 million. They were produced in 2018 for display at Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel.
Shoes Worth Protecting
In all likelihood, your interest in Dorothy's ruby slippers or the uber expensive Passion Diamond Shoes is passing, at best. But here's the point: you still own shoes that are worth protecting. You may have spent only a few hundred dollars on your favorite pair of dress shoes, but they are just as valuable to you as any pair of designer shoes is to its original creator.
Your shoes deserve to be protected from the weather. They deserve to be kept clean and dry. You will have a hard time doing that if you go out in the weather and leave your shoes exposed to everything nature and the environment can throw at them.
You aren't wearing ruby slippers on your feet. Still, you are wearing expensive shoes you don't want to ruin before their time. To keep them safe and dry, choose GC Tech shoe covers for men. We offer both slip-on and zip-up styles for your convenience. Investing in a good pair of shoe covers is an investment in your dress shoes. It is one that will definitely pay for itself over time.
