Footprints & Footwear Impressions

Footprints and footwear impressions are important forms of physical evidence frequently encountered at crime scenes. They can reveal the number of persons present, their direction and manner of movement, and can link a suspect or a particular shoe to the scene.

Impressions may be two-dimensional (prints on a hard surface) or three-dimensional (impressions in soft material such as soil, sand or snow). They are documented by photography and preserved by casting, and are then compared with the suspect's footwear or bare feet.

Types of Impressions

Footwear evidence is classified as visible, latent (invisible) and plastic (three-dimensional) impressions. Class characteristics indicate the make and size of the shoe while wear patterns and accidental damage provide individual characteristics.

Recovery of Footprints

Three-dimensional impressions are recorded by photography with a scale and preserved by casting with dental stone or plaster of Paris, while two-dimensional prints are lifted using electrostatic or gelatine lifters.