'Cinderella,' shoe designers team up to make glass slippers at Saks

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Cinderella's glass slippers have been seen in books, on stage and on the big screen, and they might just be the most famous shoes the world has ever known.

So when the latest actress to take on the role had to actually put them on, she knew she had some big ones to fill.

"Cinderella" is set to enchant a whole new generation when the movie opens Friday in thaeters everywhere.

The title role is played by British actress Lily James, best know for her role in "Downton Abbey" on PBS, and Eyewitness News caught up with her earlier this week at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.

The upscale departent store had a big reveal in the days leading up to the release, and James joined her Prince Charming (played by Richard Madden) to show off one of the glass slippers made by Swaroffski for the film and the unique dress she wears to the ball at the palace.

"It's...gossamer thin pieces of silk, and they were all different colors, so when I moved and when the light hit it, the dress just looks different colors," she said. "Depending on the light, depending on the motion."

Her big scene intimidated the young actress.

"You know, that was the moment I was scared of, to live up to being a princess, you know," she said. "And I put it on and just sort of gasped."

That, plus a very realistic set, helped both performers.

As the movie went into production, Disney and Saks asked leading shoe designers to draw inspiration from the fairy tale's most famous prop.

"The glass slipper is such an iconic part of the film, so I think every designer has a special place in their heart for Cinderella," Saks' Mark Briggs said. "So they understood exactly where they were going."

Like the slipper itself, they're not for everyone. For example, the pair made by Jimmy Choo costs almost $5,000 and obviously needs to be worn with great care.

"Cinderella" is from Walt Disney Studios, owned by the same parent company as WABC-TV.