The Silver Shoes as depicted by the original Oz illustrator W.W. Denslow.

I”m always fascinated whenever I see a pair of antique silver shoes. They evoke a sense of realness with their craftsmanship and artistry, their detailed carvings, and the unusual, exotic shape. I love buckles—almost a nod to the bows on Judy Garland’s ruby slippers. Beautiful design.

It was intentional that I didn’t include a depiction of the Shoes on my book cover, because I wanted readers to imagine them. Several characters in the story become obsessed with the shoes. They can’t shake the images out of their minds. I first describe them from Donald Gardner’s perspective as a cross between a Dutch wooden clog and something out of The Arabian Nights. I go into further detail about the strange carvings on their surface, which turn out to be more significant than mere artistic embellishments. Still, I wanted you, dear reader, to complete the circle by deciding for yourself what they look like.

Are these the way you picture them?