Shoes on Hobbits?
 

I have the colector's version of The Hobbit, which is illustrated byt the author. Of all the pictures of Bilbo (well, ok there's omly about three) there is only one where he is not wearing shoes!!!!! In one it evern looks as if he is wearing stockings as well! This seems strange after one has heard that hobbits never wear shoes.
And, as the fellowship leaves Rivendell, and Sam is going over his list in his mind, there is a mentioning of woolen hose!
Ok Mr. JRRT you have some 'splaining to do

I think I read in the Proloque that one "breed" of hobbits sometimes wore boots in muddy weather so maybe Bilbo had some of that blood in him. Or maybe Tolkien made an innocent mistake. Was it a sketch or a real illustration? Because if it was a sketch then it probably just slipped his mind that hobbits don't wear shoes. If it was a real illustration that he put alot of time into then that's different

Maybe he drew these pictures before he fully developed the image of a hobbit?

Well Reginald, the only sketch is the one where Bilbo isn't wearing shoes. The other two were rather elaborate and look as if much work was put in them.

The Bucklanders and the folk of the Marish wear dwarf boots in muddy weather.

This still does not explain Sam's wollen hose.

Even though Hobbits don't use any footwear, I would have to think that they must put SOMETHING on their feet. You have to consider cold weather, very harsh terrain, etc. Perhaps the woolen hose are for sleeping in or something...I dunno.
[img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Yes, I remember reading that, too (about the Hobbits that wore boots in muddy weather...)

Well, if they were going to wear something on their feet in cold weather, wouldnt they have to have been wearing something when they were trying to go over Carathras?

I thought that the fur on their feet was enough to keep them warm. Oh well..

LOL, the woolen hose thing was driving me mad...*scratches head in confusion* And I would think that going barefoot over Caradhras would've been a bit odd...I mean, Legolas was wearing his regular light shoes, but then again Elves aren't supposed to feel the cold or soemthing like that. Maybe Hobbits don't have any nerve endings in their furry feet [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Cahira: actually, When I once stepped on a piece of sharp glass that cut into the bottom of my shoe,I wondered whether it would affect a hobbit if they stepped in a very sharp piece of glass. The sole of said shoe is about as tough as the bottom of a hobbits foot, if not more.

Frodo: well Cahira, I am not going to step on glass to see whar happens, those fire ants are bad enough!

[ October 09, 2002: Message edited by: Frodo Baggins ]

Stacey: Hm. This IS interesting.....

Sam: Fire ants, sir!?!? Where have you an' Miss Cahira been going???

Stacey: [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] About going over Cahadras, it did mention Legolas' shoes, so why, then, wouldn't they have mentioned the Hobbits wearing shoes if snow/cold would have bothered them? (I'm not saying it did bother Legolas, which we know it didn't, but if it took the time to mention that.... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) Ergh. I hope somebody can figure out what I'm getting at. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Oh just in the back yard, Sam, theres TONS of them back there. When one does not pay attentio to where on is stepping. Fortunately I was not walking in the galss that put a gash in the sole of her shoe.

Oh! And if any of you out there are ever bit by a fire ant, a dream pain killer for bites is a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.