ABSTRACT
Toolmarks, footwear impressions, and other contact marks form important types of evidence found in major or volume crimes. Their efficient classification and treatment play an important role in identification and crime analysis. The systematic use of footwear evidence, collected at scenes of crime, was studied by Burrows and Tarling of the Forensic Science Service. This chapter aims to determine the optimal combination and order of application of the processes for lifting footwear impressions of the same or similar quality in order to develop the highest quality footwear impression. Alginate was the only casting materials tested to yield very good results with all surfaces tested, both with leucocrystal violet treated and untreated bloody footwear impressions. Footwear impressions can be digitally photographed or scanned. Digital image enhancement tools have become more accessible to handle footwear marks, mainly due to the availability of computer power to handle large images.
