It seems that shoes and movies don’t exactly go together. But have you ever imagined “The Wizard of Oz” without Dorothy’s red sequinned pumps or “Forrest Gump” without his Nikes? Or, Kill Bill without those iconic yellow sneakers.
The history of cinema is indeed riddled with iconic shoe moments and these shoes make us say to ourselves “wow, wouldn’t it be cool if I had that?”. Whether intentionally or accidentally, designs of all kinds became a huge sensation by just appearing on screen for a few minutes. These shoes have not only remained in our hearts but left a lasting footprint on a cinematic culture.
Here are 13 shoes from movies that were so iconic and they were basically another main character.
#1 The Wizard of Oz: The Ruby Slippers
Source: © The Wizard of Oz / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), © The Wizard of Oz / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Judy Garland, who played Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz”, wore ruby slippers, one of the cinema’s most legendary pairs of shoes. The slippers are covered in more than 2,000 red sequins but were stolen in 2005 from Judy Garland Museum. It took 13 years to find them. According to experts, they are insured for 1 million dollars.
#2 Cinderella: The Glass Slippers
Source: © Cinderella / Allison Shearmur Productions and co-producers, © Cinderella / Allison Shearmur Productions and co-producers
When it comes to the iconic shoes, we can’t miss Cinderella’s glass slippers, which were put on by Lily James. The slippers were embellished with 1.7 million Swarovski crystals. After 150 hours of work and 6 designs to consider, the team produced these sculptural pieces worthy of their fairytale.
#3 Forrest Gump: Forrest’s Nike sneakers
Source: © Forrest Gump / Paramount Pictures, © Forrest Gump / Paramount Pictures
The Forrest’s Nike sneakers became famous when Tom Hank appeared on the big screen holding them. They were created for running on a track and in the first year they were released, the sale of this shoe totaled more than 800,000 dollars.
#4 Jojo Rabbit: Rosie Betzler’s shoes
Source: © Jojo Rabbit / TSG Entertainment and co-producers, © Jojo Rabbit / TSG Entertainment and co-producers
In the movie “Jojo Rabbit”, Jojo’s mother, played by Scarlett Johansson, worn low heels which are so important to the plot. Therefore, whenever talking about the film, many remember them instantly.
#5 Space Jam: Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans
Source: © Space Jam / Sculptured Software Inc., © Space Jam / Sculptured Software Inc.
When watching the movie “Space Jame”, many eagled-eye fans spotted Michael Jordan wearing Air Jordans shoes that became a symbol of the movie’s success. Nike launched a special edition for the 20th anniversary of Space Jam, with the same iconic design.
#6 Clueless: Cher’s low white heels
Source: © Clueless / Paramount Pictures, © Clueless / Paramount Pictures
One of the most unforgettable scenes is the close-up of Cher's feet, wearing these cute white shoes with a T-strap, also known as Mary Janes, which perfectly sums up Cher's character and style.
#7 Kill Bill: Beatrix’s Onitsuka Tiger sneakers
Source: © Kill Bill: Vol. 1 / Miramax and co-producers, © Kill Bill: Vol. 1 / Miramax and co-producers
In the movie “Kill Bill”, Uma Thurman rocked the iconic yellow Onitsuka Tiger México 66 sneakers. But many might not know that they were not designed especially for the movie. Kihachiro Onitsuka was inspired by an octopus's grip when he created the concave grip system the shoe is famous for.
#8 Jumanji: The Parrish sneakers
Source: © Jumanji / TriStar Pictures and co-producers, © Jumanji / TriStar Pictures and co-producers
Alan Parrish uses a sneakers prototype in his father's factory in Jumanji. Its design is very similar to Nike’s Air Max 2 Charles Barkley.
#9 Get Smart: The shoe phone
Source: © Get Smart / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Get Smart / Warner Bros. and co-producers
Steven Carell took on the role of Agent 86, a spy for an intelligence agency, in "Get Smart". One of the memorable classic scenes is when 86 took off his high-tech shoe and used it as a highly sophisticated tech device.
#10 Pretty Woman: Vivian’s ultra-high boots
Source: © East News, © East News
Julia Roberts took to stardom after starring in “Pretty Woman”. In the poster of the movie, Julia put on high black leather boots which became the character’s calling card.
#11 La La Land: Sebastian and Mia’s black and white shoes
Source: © La La Land / Summit Entertainment and co-producers
Do you still remember the scene when
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling walk together in the moonlight in “La La Land”? In the scene, many spotted Ryan Gosling wearing black and white tap shoes and performing a highly coordinated choreographed dance.
#12 Legally Blonde: Elle Woods’ pink high-heeled sandals
Source: © Legally blonde / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-producers, © Legally blonde / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-producers
Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”, looked stunning in pink outfits. Additionally, many can’t forget the scenes where she wore a pair of shiny pink high-heeled sandals.
#13 Back to the Future Part II: Marty McFly’s Nike sneakers
Source: © Back to the Future Part II / Universal Pictures and co-producers, © Phillip Pessar / Wikimedia Commons, © CC BY 2.0 / Creative commons, © Avia Husk / Wikimedia Commons, © CC BY-SA 4.0 / Creative commons
Marty McFly's auto-lacing sneakers with lights in “Back to the Future Part II” made a great impression on viewers and many wished to own a pair of shoes. In 2011, Nike released a limited edition, available for the movie’s biggest fans. The company then put them back on the market in 2016. It's estimated that there are fewer than 1,600 pairs in stock worldwide.