Cinderella Slippers

When a local youth theatre company was staging the Rogers & Hammerstein musical Cinderella, I volunteered to create the glass slippers that Cinderella wore to the ball.Two pairs of shoes are ideally needed for each actress playing this role – one to stay on the prop table and one pair to keep as part of the actress’s wardrobe. This show was double-cast, and the two Cinderellas wore different size shoes, so I made 2 identical pairs of shoes, one in each of their sizes.

We began with plain clear plastic pumps with a 2-inch heel. You should be able to find these online or at a local bridal shop. An older actor might be able to use a higher heel, up to 3 inches, but for kids high school age and below, it is best to stick with a lower heel, especially because the glass slipper scene does include some dancing.

To make the plastic pumps look like real crystal (from the audience), they need some added sparkle. I applied glue-on crystal AB rhinestones, using an online picture of the Broadway costume shoe as a pattern. Detailed instructions for attaching stones to any costume piece can be found here.

When applying stones to clear shoes, be especially stingy with the glue. Any extra glue will be visible, and may ruin the illusion that the shoes are glass.

The Finished Product – Jewelled Cinderella Shoes