VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – If you’ve driven past Toro Canyon on Highway 101, you may have seen a bright, large ruby stiletto resting on the hill.
Did Dorothy lose her red slipper? Is a giant missing one of their favorite shoes? Well, this mysterious Cinderella story has a happy ending.
It all started ten years ago, when the dazzling shoe caught the attention of a group of friends passing through a Los Angeles prop shop. After some thought, the ladies thought it would be the perfect gift for their friend’s 70th birthday.
Unfortunately, the birthday girl’s husband broke his hip before the big night, so the party never happened.
After years of sitting in storage collecting dust, the shoe was set out in Toro Canyon for trash collection.
Well, one farmer decided to dust off the shoe and bring it to his property. From there, the heel made history as locals and visitors alike questioned the mysterious stiletto on the side of Highway 101.
Theories of a health campaign, theft, and a local prank have circled around the random slipper.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Fast forward to now, the same friend now prepares to celebrate her friend’s 80th birthday on Aug. 26 with a freshly painted stiletto.
This time, the group was determined to revive the original party plan– by any means necessary. Begging, borrowing, even stealing the stiletto.
Although the group devised a meticulous plan to scale the barbed wire fence protecting the shoe, there was no need.
The farmer delivered the red slipper to the group. After the festivities, he will pick up the shoe and return it to the property.
To catch a glimpse of the stiletto, head northbound on Highway 101 and drive past Ventura.
