The Letter of the Law

[Morsul the Dark]

From RoTKYes, when you also have the Keys of Barad-dûr itself, I suppose; and the crowns of seven kings, and the rods of the Five Wizards, and have purchased yourself a pair of boots many sizes larger than those that you wear now.

Obviously Boots are on Par with crowns, and Wizards’ Staffs. This explains the enigmatic Bombadil, he is master because of his great yellow boots. They endow him with power over a realm where no other boots are as powerful.

This is also why people belittle the Hobbits, not their size but their lack of boots or shoes at all.

Edit: I’m not sure this fits the “implied X but the opposite of X could also happen” idea but I do feel it fits “distort the text” prompt.