On May 6, 2019, Zendaya turned the Met Gala stairs at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art into a Cinderella scene, arriving with stylist Law Roach in an illuminated Tommy Hilfiger ballgown and custom clear PVC pumps designed to resemble glass slippers.
The transparent pumps completed the Disney reference with clear heels and barely visible uppers that created the illusion of Cinderella’s famous glass shoes. Zendaya carried the idea through to the end of her entrance: while climbing the Met steps with Roach, she deliberately slipped off one pump and left it behind on the staircase.
Zendaya completed her Cinderella-inspired 2019 Met Gala look with custom clear PVC “glass slipper” pumps and a crystal-covered Judith Leiber Pumpkin Coach clutch (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Tony Forte)
Roach accompanied Zendaya dressed as her fairy godmother and used a smoking wand to trigger the gown’s transformation from crystal gray to glowing blue.
How Zendaya’s Tommy Hilfiger Cinderella Dress Lit Up
The corseted Tommy Hilfiger ballgown combined a full A-line skirt and puffed sleeves with an elaborate lighting system concealed inside the dress. An eight-person technical team helped develop the effect, drawing on expertise previously used for Hussein Chalayan’s influential animatronic runway designs.
Inside the gown were approximately 40 meters of LED lighting, 20 carbon-fiber rods, and five concealed battery packs. When Roach activated the effect with his wand, the dress changed from a muted crystal-gray appearance to illuminated blue, recreating Cinderella’s transformation for the red carpet.
Zendaya finished the look with a blonde French twist and white headband, Stefere diamond jewelry, a black satin choker, and a crystal-encrusted Judith Leiber Pumpkin Coach clutch shaped like Cinderella’s carriage. The accessories reinforced the theme without competing with the two defining elements of the look: the light-up gown and transparent pumps.
Zendaya’s illuminated Tommy Hilfiger Cinderella gown was paired with custom transparent pumps created to give the appearance of glass slippers at the 2019 Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 6, 2019
For another memorable light-up Met Gala dress, see Claire Danes’ illuminated Zac Posen gown from the 2016 Met Gala.
Where to Find Clear Pumps Inspired by Zendaya’s Cinderella Shoes
Zendaya’s custom 2019 Met Gala “glass slippers” were never produced for retail, but several designer pumps recreate the same barely-there effect. As of July 2026, Farfetch listed Gianvito Rossi clear-strap pumps for $474, down from $792, while the brand’s signature Plexi pumps were $839.
Amina Muaddi offered a more jeweled interpretation with the Begum 95mm transparent pumps, reduced from $2,120 to $1,353. For an even sharper stiletto silhouette, Casadei’s Blade Fluo PVC leather pumps were available for $1,076.
Farfetch also carried Christian Louboutin’s discontinued Debout PVC pumps on the pre-owned market for $520, making them an especially relevant alternative for fans of Zendaya’s frequently worn Louboutin heels.
Prices and availability are based on Farfetch listings in July 2026 and may change.
Zendaya’s 2019 Tommy Hilfiger Collaboration Extended Beyond the Met Gala
The Met Gala look came during the same year as Zendaya’s Tommy Hilfiger collaboration. On March 2, 2019, she attended a Tommy x Zendaya photocall in Paris before presenting the collection during Paris Fashion Week.
Zendaya pairs a colorful paisley-print Tommy x Zendaya dress with burgundy over-the-knee leather boots while attending the collection’s Paris photocall on March 2, 2019
Zendaya’s Glass Slippers Completed One of Her Most Memorable Met Gala Transformations
The illuminated Tommy Hilfiger gown delivered the transformation, but Zendaya’s transparent pumps completed the Cinderella story. Leaving one “glass slipper” behind on the Met steps turned the custom shoes into part of the performance itself—a fitting example of how footwear has become an essential detail in many of her most memorable red-carpet looks.
👠 Explore Zendaya’s Best Met Gala Designer Shoe Moments:
- 📏 Standing at 5’10” (178 cm) and wearing a US shoe size 10, Zendaya has made towering heels a signature rather than a way to disguise her statuesque height, wearing designs by Christian Louboutin, Casadei, Jimmy Choo, Le Silla, Louis Vuitton, and more.
- 🌺 Trace Zendaya’s Met Gala fashion evolution, from her tropical Dolce Gabbana Alta Moda gown in 2017 and Joan of Arc-inspired Atelier Versace armor in 2018 to her Cinderella transformation in Tommy Hilfiger and later return to the Met steps.
- 💛 See how Zendaya matched neon-yellow Jimmy Choo platform heels to her cutout Valentino Haute Couture gown at the 2021 Oscars, one of the clearest examples of her preference for coordinating dramatic footwear with equally striking couture.
- 👠 Revisit Zendaya’s enduring relationship with Christian Louboutin’s So Kate pumps, including the black stilettos she paired with a sculptural Christopher Esber gown at the 2019 People’s Choice Awards.
- 🤖 Explore the shoes behind Zendaya’s futuristic Dune: Part Two London wardrobe, from metallic heels worn with Thierry Mugler’s archival robot suit to Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps styled with her dramatic black Mugler gown.