In Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the silver shoes are a gift to Nessarose (the Wicked Witch of the East) before she and her sister, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) start college. They are made by her father using special glass beads another man (Turtleheart, possibly her biological father) taught him to make, which make the shoes appear silver OR ruby depending on the light. They are enchanted by Glinda (the Good Witch of the North) to give her the necessary balance to walk. In the Broadway musical adaption of the book, Elphaba is the one who enchants the shoes. Her spell made the silver shoes burn red hot, turning them into the ruby slippers.
Read more about this topic: Silver Shoes, Appearances in The Books
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