Shoes may be made for walking, but not the diamond encrusted heels handmade by Kathryn Wilson, which took over fifty hours to create. These sensational pumps are now one of the world’s most expensive shoes, and are almost too beautiful (and expensive) to wear! A total of 21.8 carats of diamonds adorn the unusual footwear, as well as lace and additional embellishments. The diamond shoes, which come with a heavy price tag of approximately $423,357, were designed to look like Cinderella’s shoes. The idea was to create a pair of heels that women dream of, and that would make one truly feel like a princess. Known simply as “The Diamond Shoes,” this diamond-studded pair was specially made for the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charity Auction.

New Zealand’s designer Kathryn Wilson, who had a vision of creating the ultimate Cinderella fantasy that exuded utter and complete luxury, masterminded the entire production. Together with the help of Auckland’s Orsini Fine Jewelry Company’s Sarah Hutchings, the long and painful creative process began. The entire operation mirrored a medical procedure, with the precision of a surgeon used to guide the tweezers, place the adhesive, and attach each and every diamond to the shoe, one at a time.

Much time and thought went into planning the design of the shoe as well, which was originally black. In order to bring out the utmost brilliance from the diamonds, it was decided to paint the shoe white. A design was then stenciled in pencil, keeping in mind all along how many carats of diamonds would be needed, as well as lace and further embellishments. Many late nights, as well as sore fingers, resulted in a work of art.

The final product is housed in a shatterproof box, which was made especially for the launch. During the creation of these highly valuable shoes, security guards were hired to chaperon the shoes in order to protect them and the many diamonds used to adorn them. Though these unbelievable shoes are not for retail, they will be auctioned off to benefit the Ronald McDonald charity foundation, which assists the families of children undergoing medical treatment.

“The Diamond Shoes” join several other pairs as some of the world’s most expensive shoes. These include Stuart Weitzman’s Retro Rose Pumps worth $1 million and his $2 million Cinderella Slippers, the $2 million Tanzanite Slippers by Stuart Weitzman and Eddie Le Vian, the Rita Hayworth Heels worth $3 million, Harry Winston’s Ruby Slippers with the equivalent value, as well as a few others. Another noteworthy pair is the unique pair of Custom Air Force 1 Nikes, worth $50,000. These diamond-encrusted sneakers feature 11 carats of Fancy Brown (Brown) diamonds.

Diamond Heels Become Some of the World’s Most Expensive Shoes