sigrfridr:
She shook her head at his question, trying not to laugh. “Oh, no, it’s not uncomfortable at all – so long as you’re wearing shoes that fit, that is. When they’re too small then yes, it does pinch your toes quite uncomfortably.” Sigrid had grown up with her share of pinched toes and shoes she’d outgrown months ago but said still fit, curling up her toes inside them to try and make them last a little longer. (She had been oh, so glad when she’d realized that her feet had finally stopped growing any bigger, and she wouldn’t need new boots until she’d completely worn through hers.) “But well fitting shoes don’t.”
Thinking for a moment, Sigrid continued by way of further explanation for the Hobbit, “Just like any clothes, really – they shouldn’t be uncomfortable if they fit right, or feel as though you’re being crammed into tight spaces.” Then there’s a little sigh, and an added little, “Well, actually, some of my gowns do feel like that, I suppose, but I’ve heard that’s how they’re meant to be. Boots aren’t.”
If the look on her face was anything to go by then pinched toes were just as awful as they sounded, even without the comparisons. It made him wonder if the prices of shoes for Men were the same was what the dwarves often sold their for. If so then he could imagine it being difficult for a poor bargeman like Bard to keep a pair of boots for himself, let alone his three children. It made the burglar all the more thankful that things were much better for them now and Bard didn’t have to worry about such things any longer.
Then she brought up some of her gowns being made a certain way, and again Bilbo couldn’t wrap his head around the reasoning for it. As estranged as he may be, he was still a hobbit, and hobbits were creatures of comfort. It didn’t make sense to want your shoes to fit right but not your clothes. “Why on earth would you wear a gown that’s too small if you don’t like wearing boots that pinch your toes?”
