The ones that everyone has heard of. The famous Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 MGM movie “The Wizard of Oz.”

The Ruby Slippers from MGM’s 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”

And while I didn’t write about these shoes, they served as the inspiration for my story. I live in Los Angeles, and a good friend called me one day when she discovered that her neighbor and friend, Michael Shaw, owned a pair of the legendary ruby slippers from the MGM film. Being the huge Oz fan that I was (and am), I definitely had to see them! She arranged everything with Mr. Shaw, who was most accommodating, and it was a hugely memorable day for me.

As I stared at the iconic shoes, I kept thinking what a treasure they were. Not just monetarily either …

Michael had been offered $2 million for his pair a few years back and refused the offer … but these shoes, in pristine condition, one of four pairs known to exist that were used during production of the movie, had an electricity about them. An indescribable aura. People flocked in droves to see them at events and to be near them. They were the pinnacle of “Hollywood magic,” even if they weren’t real. They had a power and instilled a childlike sense of awe for me and others who laid eyes on them. Then I got to thinking … I was being silly and overly dramatic about it. They were just a plain pair of 1930s satin pumps with nicely designed, hand-sewn sequins on them.

But what if they were real? What if they actually worked?

And what if they really had come from Oz?

Ultimately, my idea led me back to the original novel by L. Frank Baum. But seeing the “real” Ruby Slippers that day—that’s how it all began in my mind.