The Wizard of Oz’s shoes found after 19 years

After 19 years of unexpected adventures, the famous red shoes worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939) are once again available… at auction. Stolen in 2005, they disappeared for 13 years before being found by the FBI in 2018.

Today, Dallas-based Heritage Auctions is overseeing the sale of this iconic pair. The hammer price was $812,000, or around 752,300 euros.

A battle for shoes

The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is waging a veritable battle to recover the shoes. The museum, to which the pair had been loaned by owner Michael Shaw, lost them in a 2005 theft. Since then, the town of Grand Rapids has raised funds during its annual festival dedicated to Judy Garland. Minnesota legislators have added a $100,000 contribution to the effort to return the shoes to the museum.

The robbery and the restitution

In 2005, 76-year-old Terry Jon Martin stole the shoes, believing them to be adorned with real rubies. And therefore worth an estimated one million dollars. Encouraged by a former accomplice with Mafia connections, Terry Jon Martin was tempted by one last big score. However, disappointed by the shoes’ false wealth, he quickly got rid of them by handing them over to an accomplice. Recovered by the FBI in 2018, the pair was returned to Michael Shaw at a private ceremony last February. In January 2024, Terry Jon Martin was sentenced to one year’s probation and ordered to pay $23,500 in damages to the museum.

Shoes of priceless value

Although several pairs of shoes were created for the film, only four remain today. According to Wizard of Oz specialist Rhys Thomas, the stolen shoes are distinguished by their superior quality. Their close-up presence in the film makes them even more precious. Despite their high value, the slippers also evoke a well-known adage: all that glitters is not gold.

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