What does The Good Wizard’s Scarlet Boots represent?

The Good Wizard’s scarlet boots are an important symbol of the Good Wizard’s magical powers as well as the parallels to other stories and legends. They also symbolize the power of underestimated female objects, and underestimated women generally. Nix describes them when Anya and her friends meet the Good Wizard in Chapter 14, “beautifully made scarlet boots with curled-up toes and high heels” (143). While Anya thinks the boots make her powerful, Shrub doubts that a woman would be the Good Wizard. When Ardent sniffs her he confirms the boots are magical, and she transforms into her “regalia” by which she means the traditional wizarding garb of a robe, beard, and tall pointed hat to prove she is the Good Wizard (146). She also changes her voice to be male.