Hans Christian Andersen’s 1845 tale about a girl punished for dancing in red shoes is titled “The Red Shoes.”
The story follows Karen, an orphan who becomes attached to a pair of striking red shoes. After she wears them improperly and cannot stop dancing, the shoes become a symbol of vanity, disobedience, and compulsive desire. The tale’s severe religious and moral framework reflects nineteenth-century attitudes that are much harsher than many modern children’s adaptations.
“The Red Shoes” was published in 1845 alongside several other important Andersen tales. Its imagery later influenced ballet, film, illustration, and popular discussions of artistic obsession.
Readers sometimes confuse it with “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” a different fairy tale in which princesses secretly dance each night. Andersen’s story is specifically about one girl and a magical pair of red shoes.