Day 4 of 13 of Happily’s Release Blog Tour. See the full schedule here.

Thank you for hosting this stop, Aislynn. It’s a pleasure to be here on your blog!

(You’re welcome! ~JAdM)

I hope that our topic in this post is obvious enough from its title. In keeping with what most people think when they hear the name “Cinderella,” I kept glass slippers in my retelling. Now let’s discuss a bit reasons why glass slippers made it into Cinderella stories at all, and whether or not walking in them would be a good idea.

First, why glass slippers? There are claims that the bit about them being made of glass is likely the result of a mistranslation from older stories, in which the shoes were actually made of fur. This rumor is incorrect, insofar as I’ve read. Furthermore, claims of any “original” story that could have been mistranslated seem a bit silly as well, given the long and mixed history of Cinderella stories, in which the shoes have been made from a variety of materials.

But the slippers are almost exclusively thought of as being glass nowadays, thanks in large part to Disney’s film taking the idea from Perrault’s classic rendition, published in 1697.

None of that really answers the question of why the slippers were glass. And, honestly, we don’t really know why. Perrault may have simply thought that glass shoes sounded extra fancy and magical.

Even with that being the case, there are some interesting things that come from the shoes being made of glass. For one thing—and the one that matters most in the story of Cinderella—a shoe made of glass would be perfectly inflexible. Glass does not bend. It will break and shatter, but you cannot bend or stretch it. Importantly, then, Cinderella’s shoe simply could not admit a foot that was too large, no matter how much they tried to force the shoe onto their foot.

Some people have imposed symbolic importance on the glass slipper as well—glass is transparent, representing the how transparent Cinderella’s values and virtue are. Glass is pure, as is Cinderella. Glass shatters if used gracelessly, symbolizing Cinderella’s grace. Take them for what you will. I will admit to having never read Perrault’s Cinderella, and am inclined to think that people are thinking too much into it.

But now to the real question—could Cinderella have stood, walked, danced, and ran in slippers made from glass?

I’ve done some reading and scrounged up some answers. When the 2015 live-action remake of Cinderella was released, quite a few smarty-pants took this question as far and as seriously as they could go. Their answers? Yes, no, and maybe.

If it had much of a heel and was made of glass in 1697, then no. It would have shattered, and her feet would have been shredded to ribbons. Ouch. That’s a no.

If the shoes were flats, then she’d probably be okay. Better give it an extra-thick sole, just in case. Also, be careful while running, as glass isn’t known for providing good traction. So, maybe.

More modern glass-making techniques allow for stronger types of glass, meaning that she’d probably be just fine. Furthermore, the bibbidi-bobbidi-boo type of glass production can make incredibly strong glass, since they’re magical. (Unless, of course, Lady Tremaine happens to trip the grand duke’s servant and the glass slipper tumbles to the ground. In that case, you better believe it’s going to shatter.) So, if it’s magic, then definitely yes.

The real question is why her glass slippers didn’t change back/disappear along with everything else? Who knows. I suppose it’s something to be explained another day, in another story.

What do you think? Did Perrault intend deeper meanings in his choice of the glass slipper, or did he simply think that glass sounded pretty? Have a theory why the shoes didn’t disappear when everything else did? Would you prefer a pair of nice fuzzy boots over glass shoes (even if they were safe and comfortable)?

Day 4 of 13 of Happily’s Release Blog Tour. See the full schedule here.

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