Enchanted artifact in The Oz Series
Silver Shoes
Also known as silver ones, one of the Silver Shoes, the silver shoe, Your Silver Shoes, a magical pair of silver shoes, a pair of magical silver shoes.
A pair of pointed-toe silver shoes worn by the Wicked Witch of the East, who was proud of them; they carry an unknown charm and pass to Dorothy after the Witch's death.
Appears in 11 chapters, first in chapter 2, last in chapter 100.
This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.
What the story establishes
| Appearance | Silver shoes with pointed toes. (as of ch. 2) |
| Charm invocation | Knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go. |
| Charm uses remaining | 0 |
| Enchantments | Bear some unknown charm; the Munchkins knew a charm was connected with them but not what it was. |
| Granted power | They bear a powerful charm; possessing them grants great power — the Witch believes a single shoe gives her half the charm's power, and both would give her more power than all her other magic — though Dorothy does not know how to use it. |
| Object type | Artifact |
| Properties | Their long-secret charm is revealed: the Silver Shoes can carry their wearer to any place in the world in just three steps, each step made in the wink of an eye; the wearer need only knock the heels together three times and command the shoes where to go. (as of ch. 23) |
Relationships
- invokes ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 23Following Glinda's instructions, Dorothy takes Toto in her arms, claps the heels of the Silver Shoes together three times, and commands them to take her home to Aunt Em — and is instantly whirled through the air to the Kansas prairie.
- steals ← Wicked Witch of the West (ended) ch. 12Coveting the powerful Silver Shoes, the Witch hides an invisible iron bar in the kitchen floor so Dorothy trips and falls; one shoe comes off and the Witch snatches it onto her own foot, gaining half the charm's power, though she is destroyed before she can take the second.
- acquires resource ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 2Dorothy acquires the dead Wicked Witch of the East's charmed silver shoes, handed to her by the Witch of the North.
- wields ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 3–23Dorothy still wears the Silver Shoes, but the Witch places an invisible iron bar on the kitchen floor; Dorothy trips, falls, and one Silver Shoe comes off, which the Witch snatches and puts on her own foot, so Dorothy loses half the charm's power. Dorothy only regains full possession after she dashes water on the Witch, melts her, and picks the silver shoe out of the remains, cleaning it and putting it back on her foot.
- gives ← Witch of the North (ended) ch. 2The Witch of the North picks up the dead Witch's silver shoes, shakes the dust from them, and gives them to Dorothy to wear.
- possesses ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 2–23Dorothy owns and now wears the silver shoes that had belonged to the Witch of the East. Finding her old leather shoes too worn for the journey, she takes them off and tries on the silver ones, which fit perfectly, and sets out along the yellow brick road with them tinkling on the road-bed.
- possesses ← Wicked Witch of the East (ended) ch. 2The Wicked Witch of the East owned and was proud of the silver shoes, worn on her feet until her death, after which they pass to Dorothy.
From the text
And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye.Chapter 23
two feet were sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes.Chapter 2
See Silver Shoes chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →