 More than 1,600 pairs of latex ears and feet were used during the  shoot, each "cooked" in a special oven running 24 hours a day, seven  days a week. There was no way of removing the feet at the end of the  day without damaging them and so each pair could only be used once.  The used feet were shredded to prevent a black market in stolen  hobbit feet but apparently Monaghan, Dominic (qv) (Merry) kept a  pair.