From sneakers, and high heels to boots, these iconic shoes from movies have left a lasting impression on all of us. They can be important symbols or powerful plot devices that play essential parts in the stories. Some might even say that without these shoes, the whole story wouldn’t have happened in the first place!
So let’s see which
shoes from movies have become as iconic as the main character, if not more. Which is the first one that pops into your mind when you think about shoes in Hollywood films?
1. The Glass Slippers In Cinderella
Source: © Cinderella / Allison Shearmur Productions and co-producers
This is no doubt one of the most iconic shoes from movies ever. Without the glass slippers, Cinderella would have a lot of trouble reuniting with her Prince Charming. The glory of the magical glass slippers was brought to life in the 2015
Disney adaptation of the classic tale. Jewelry house Swarovski used 1.7 million Swarovski crystals, spent 8 people, 150 hours of work, and 6 designs to create this masterpiece.
2. The Ruby Slippers In The Wizard of Oz
Source: © The Wizard of Oz / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Another pair of shoes that play a significant role in the story is the ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz. In the original novel, the shoes were set to be silver. However, screenwriter Noel Langley changed the design to red color and used 2,000 red sequins to cover the shoes. It became one of the most legendary pairs of shoes in Hollywood’s history and was estimated to be insured for $1 million.
3. Cher’s Low White Heels In Clueless
Source: © Clueless / Paramount Pictures
Clueless quickly became a sensation once it hit the theaters, and the outfits in the movie became a hot trend back then. The film had everything a ’90s fashionista ever wanted in her closet, but one item stood out the most: Cher’s low white heels. These cute white shoes with a T-strap were shown in one close-up scene of Cher’s feet. The pair was known as Mary Janes, which perfectly symbolized Cher’s character and style.
4. Jojo’s Mom’s Shoes In Jojo Rabbit
Source: © Jojo Rabbit / TSG Entertainment and co-producers
This pair of shoes marked one of the darkest and most tragic moments in comedy. In the movie Jojo Rabbit, JoJo’s mother Rosie Beltzer is a Nazi resistor who is captured by the Nazis and hung in the middle of the public square. Jojo doesn’t recognize his mother’s corpse at first, but upon seeing the red shoes that she always wears, he instantly knows it was her.
5. The Shoe Phone From Get Smart
Source: © Get Smart / Warner Bros. and co-producers
Steve Carell plays Agent 86, a spy for an intelligence agency in the 2008 movie Get Smart. One of the most memorable pieces of his outfit is his shoe phone. When the situation called for it, he would take off his high-tech shoe and use it as a highly advanced technology device.
6. Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans In Space Jam
Source: © Space Jam / Sculptured Software Inc
The 1996 movie Space Jam has the iconic Looney Tunes characters fighting along with the famous basketball player Michael Jordan in a basketball match. Michael Jordan’s pair of sneakers would later become a symbol of the film’s success and an iconic piece of footwear fashion: the Air Jordans. For the 20th anniversary of Space Jam, Nike launched a special edition of the Air Jordans with the same iconic design but more comfortable.
7. Beatrix’s Onitsuka Tiger Sneakers In Kill Bill
Source: © Kill Bill: Vol. 1 / Miramax and co-producers
Uma Thurman’s legendary revenge outfit in Kill Bill has become a symbol of pop culture. Seriously, her yellow suit is just one of a kind. But the most interesting part of that unique outfit is the yellow Onitsuka Tiger México 66 sneakers.
Kihachiro Onitsuka was inspired by an octopus’s grip when he created the concave grip system the shoe is famous for. The design was used by the Japanese Olympics team in 1968, and Quentin Tarantino’s film turned it into a symbol.
8. The Cobbler’s Shoes In The Cobbler
Source: © Image Entertainment
In the movie The Cobbler,
Adam Sandler plays the role of a local cobbler who finds out that his old stitching machine has magical powers. He can transform into the owner of any shoe that it works on, so he uses this power to do a lot of goofy things. Each and every shoe in this movie tell a different story, so it’s safe to say that without them we wouldn’t have a movie to watch in the first place.
9. The Boots In Kinky Boots
Source: © Kinky Boots / Miramax
This 2005 movie tells the story of a shoe factory owner who’s in trouble for accepting a drag queen named Lola as a partner to save his business. His life was changed when he went from manufacturing normal men's shoes to creating breathtaking drag queen shoes.
10. Elle Woods’ Pink High-heeled Sandals In Legally Blonde
Source: © Legally blonde / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-producers
Elle Woods’ pink attires in Legally Blonde are some of the most famous outfits in Hollywood’s history. It would be a shame if we forget about her famous pair of shiny pink high-heeled sandals. Elle wears this pair of shoes in front of a jury on the day that she wins her first case.
11. The Nike Air Mags In Back to the Future Part II
Source: © Back to the Future Part II / Universal Pictures and co-producers
In Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly stumbles upon a pair of Nike Mag that can lace themselves and fasten to his feet effortlessly. In 2011, Nike released a limited run of the shoes with only 1,510 pairs ever being produced. The proceeds from this campaign went to the funds for Parkinson’s Disease research.
12. Forrest Gump’s Nike Cortez In Forrest Gump
Source: © Forrest Gump / Paramount Pictures
“My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes,” said Forrest. So when he devoted himself to running across the country, his love interest Jenny decided to get him a pair of new Nike Cortez sneakers. Forrest would wear these Cortez sneakers throughout his run across the nation, turning them into one of the most mesmerizing pairs of shoes in the history of movies.
13. The Knife Boots In From Russia With Love
Source: United Artists
Rosa Klebb’s signature weapon is the shoe knife. It’s a small knife that is hidden within her pair of dress shoes. Rosa uses this weapon to stab her enemies with precise, powerful kicks. In the movie’s climax, the tip of her knife was poisoned and she attempted to kill Bond with it but failed, resulting in her death.
14. The Parrish Sneakers In Jumanji
Source: © Jumanji / TriStar Pictures and co-producers
In Jumanji, Alan Parrish uses a sneaker prototype in his father’s factory. This creates a string of wild events that are crazy AF. The pair of shoes looks very similar to Nike’s Air Max 2 Charles Barkley, so if you want a replica then you know what to buy.
15. Kyle’s Nike Vandals In Terminator
Source: © The Terminator / Cinema '84 and co-producers
The Terminator protagonist Kyle Reese wears a pair of Nike sneakers called the Nike Vandals. The shoes become sensational after the film was released and fans went crazy looking for them. It’s safe to say that they’re one of the most iconic shoes in the entire Terminator saga.
Those are some famous shoes from movies that become another main character. Speaking of stealing the spotlight,
these small roles also shine brighter than the protagonist despite having minimal screen time.