The Arabian Shoes. A test pair of ruby slippers designed by Adrian and ultimately rejected for MGM’s 1939 production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

It doesn’t come up often, but every now and then, someone asks me why I chose not to show the famous footwear on the cover of my book “Silver Shoes.” It would be an obvious choice, right? The book is called “Silver Shoes,” so you show the shoes!

The answer is simple: I wanted readers to imagine what they looked like and decide for themselves just how special and unique they are. In the story, the shoes evoke strange reactions and bizarre behavior, and I go into plenty of detail describing their physical attributes. Since their unusual shape and elaborate carvings on their surface play into the plot, I thought it would rob readers of an excellent opportunity to use their minds. I wanted them to ponder a bit and perhaps even obsess, like some of the characters do, as to their appearance.

L. Frank Baum, together with “Wizard of Oz” illustrator W.W. Denslow, depicted the Silver Shoes rather plainly but with an unusual shape—part Dutch clog and part Arabian Nights. They even have what appears to be a strap in a couple of images, almost like patent-leather Mary Janes.

It’s no wonder when MGM set out to design a pair of magic witch’s shoes for Dorothy that they went through a test period. The biggest change was an eye-popping transformation from silver to red. That came from an early draft of the screenplay by Noel Langley before the shoes had reached the design phase. It was decided early on by the creative team that, since “The Wizard of Oz” was going to be filmed at great expense in Technicolor, these pivotal shoes needed to be something other than silver, which would read on screen pretty much exactly the same as in black-and-white. Changing them to a deep red or ruby would remind audiences of the wonder of color film.

So, now the Silver Shoes were Ruby Slippers … but what, exactly, would they look like? Early on, a test pair was mocked up that seemed to take its inspiration from the book, giving them a slightly “Arabian” and exotic feel.

Judy Garland tried them out in still photos along with other shoes, stockings, dresses, and wigs. The attention to detail and dozens of pre-production decisions are mind-blowing … as was the end result.

Judy Garland testing the Arabian Shoes on her front foot for “The Wizard of Oz.”

I felt like writing about this today, because these fascinating test slippers, the “Arabian Shoes,” currently owned by film star Debbie Reynolds, are about to hit the auction block. On June 18, 2011, at noon (PDT), they will find a new owner through a massive sale of Hollywood memorabilia—one of the biggest ever—conducted by Profiles in History.

I’m a little sad to see her collection scattered to the wind. It will surely find various new homes in public and private collections. I was lucky to have seen it all under one roof and displayed magnificently when Miss Reynolds owned her hotel in Las Vegas about fifteen years ago. The Arabian Shoes were there, along with a tested (and unused) pinafore for Dorothy. Many additional fine costumes and prop pieces, too. All going up for sale to the highest bidder in just a few weeks.

UPDATE:  I thought I would post a quick follow-up to this. The one-of-a-kind Arabian Shoes sold at the Beverly Hills auction on June 18th for a whopping $510,000! That’s a lot of money for a pair of “test shoes” that were never on screen in the movie!