Footwear Evidence

Question 1

What is footwear evidence?

Answer 1

Any marking created by shoe soles in a crime scene

Question 2

What can footwear evidence indicate?

Answer 2

• Shoe type, size, age
• Number of individuals at scene
• Point of entry and egress, direction of approach, movement within scene
• Unique characteristics created by wearer can be used like a fingerprint

Question 3

What are the 2 types of footwear marks? Describe them

Answer 3

2D and 3D:
- 2D -> latent or visible, porous or non-porous, wet or dry, created as a result of physical contact with e.g. windowsills, floors and worktops
- 3D -> created as a result of physical contact with soil, sand, snow, mud etc. Deep or shallow, stable or unstable, can lead to a 2D mark with degradation

Question 4

What are the factors affecting the formation of footwear marks?

Answer 4

• Surface type
• Shoe type/condition
• Amount of contact pressure
• Amount of contact time
• Whether shoe/surface is wet/dry

Question 5

How do you recover 2D marks?

Answer 5

• Photograph
• ESLA
• Gel lift
• Photograph
• Powder
• Photograph
• Gel lift

Question 6

How do you generally recover 3D impressed footwear marks?

Answer 6

• Photography with/without scales
• Cast
• Add acetate sheet to back and write down details
• DO NOT CLEAN CAST

Question 7

How do you recover 3D footwear marks in granular substrates e.g. sand, flour, powders, dry soil?

Answer 7

• Photograph
• Spray with wax/hairspray to fix
• Cast (DO NOT CLEAN)

Question 8

How do you recover 3D footwear marks that are submerged e.g. in puddles?

Answer 8

• Photograph with polarising filter
• Sieve casting powder over the mark (don’t drain puddle)

Question 9

How do you recover 3D footwear marks in snow?

Answer 9

• Photograph
• Spray with wax/hairspray OR sieve casting powder
• Cast