1. Forensic footwear analysis

2. Adhesive Lifter
 Adhesive lifter - a heavy coating of adhesive lifts the imprint from smooth, non- delicate surfaces such as tile or hardwood floors, metal counters, etc. It is usually used in conjunction with fingerprint powders.

3. Gelatin Lifter
Black gelatin lifters absorb light so strongly, that even very faint shoeprints lifted with them can be photographed satisfactorily upon strong over-exposure.

4. Electrostatic Dust Lifter
The top image shows one type of electrostatic dust print lifter in use.  It is on a conductive surface, requiring the use of a grounding plate held off the surface with a nonconductive sheet while applying a charge to the silver-backed lifting media.  Below is a footwear impression on a metal surface (left) and the resultant lift (photograph enhanced).  Note that the lift is a mirror image of the actual impression.

5. Qualifications
“Evaluation and comparison of impression evidence should be performed by a well-trained footwear and tire track examiner. Typically these professionals have received extensive training on footwear and tire manufacturing, evidence detection, recovery, handling and examination procedures, laboratory and photography equipment and procedures, courtroom testimony and legal issues, and casework” ( “The Scientific Working Group on Shoeprint and Tire Tread Evidence (SWGTREAD) ( has a published standard that discusses the minimum qualifications and training for footwear/tire track examiners. Additionally, the International Association for Identification (IAI) ( offers a recommended course of study for Footwear and tire track examiners that takes participants through more than 550 hours of training. (