Footwear Impression Evidence Comparison

This 5-day (38-hour) course reviews essential information for those who examine footwear impression evidence and must provide written reports and expert testimony on their observations and conclusions. The course provides an understanding of basic footwear manufacturing techniques as they assist in the evaluation of class characteristics, as well as which aspects of manufacturing may enhance examination results. In addition, the wear and random individual characteristics, which enable positive identification of a shoe, are covered. Approximately 35-40 exercises and case examinations will be independently conducted by each student and discussed to teach and re-enforce both fundamental examination methodology and observations, and to provide experience with a variety of examination results ranging from identifications to non-identifications. Additional items to be covered include creation of exemplar impressions of suspected footwear, contusion impressions, shoe sizing, hands-on chemical enhancement of impressions, barefoot impressions, and a thorough review of the photography, casting and lifting methods necessary to recover this form of evidence