Of Hobbits and Boots

[MisterMelkor]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I don't remember any references in LOTR to any of the hobbits ever wearing any footwear.
That said, I've always wondered just how they got along barefoot in the snow while climbing to the Redhorn Gate.

That´s an interesting Topic. Well I guess they never had cold feet. Maybe like ducks which have a Counter-currant heat Exchange systhem (ha, I always wanted to Quote that!) and so get very well along...

Also anatomical: Maybe there is a reason that they don´t wear boots. Sweaty feet? In that case it would have been catastrophal the Moment Bilbo took his off!

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by MisterMelkor

That´s an interesting Topic. Well I guess they never had cold feet. Maybe like ducks which have a Counter-currant heat Exchange systhem (ha, I always wanted to Quote that!) and so get very well along...

Also anatomical: Maybe there is a reason that they don´t wear boots. Sweaty feet? In that case it would have been catastrophal the Moment Bilbo took his off!

As for the cold, it's the thick soles again, they'd block the cold. There are groups of people who have no trouble walking barefoot on snow all the time, like some Tibetan ascetics (whose footprints are sometimes cited as a possible "real" origin for yeti tracks.)
As for the sweat thing, it's hard to tell. Thick calluses tend to block the openings of sweat glands so probably not on the soles. But the insteps could have quite a few, and they probably do smell a bit worse than mannish ones (if only because the fur like hair would catch a lot more of the sweat.) Though that would only apply on the trail; at home, I'm sure Hobbits are very careful about making sure their foot fur is well washed.