Here's why:
* Glass is brittle and impractical: A glass shoe would be uncomfortable, break easily, and would be difficult to walk in.
* The story is a metaphor: The glass slipper is a symbol of beauty and rarity, not a literal object.
* The original tale: The original version of the Cinderella story, written by Charles Perrault in 1697, actually mentions a "fur slipper," not a glass one. The glass slipper idea came later in different adaptations.
So, while the glass slipper is a charming element of the story, it's best to consider it a figment of the fairy tale world.