Isildur is Ahead of His Time
In the epic prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring, we learn how the One Ring was created and eventually fell into Bilbo’s hands. It also shows the fate of Isildur. He defeated Sauron and took the ring for himself. Shortly thereafter, he is ambushed and swims, pierced by arrows, in a river.
What’s puzzling here: If you closely examine the body in the water, you’ll notice he is wearing shoes that do not fit at all in the fantasy world of Middle-earth. They look more like modern hiking shoes. Especially in contrast to the medieval clothing that Isildur normally wears, the shoes stand out.
The reason for the error could be that practical shoes were provided to the actor, allowing him to maintain some grip in the uneven terrain of the river. They likely did not anticipate that they would be so prominently visible in the shot – and in editing, the slightly too modern shoes were overlooked.
