Footprints as Accurate as Fingerprints?

I don’t mean the friction ridge patterns on the soles of our feet. We know these are as individual as the ridge patterns on our fingertips. But what about the pattern with which our feet strike the ground? Could these also provide individualizing evidence? The answer just might be yes.

 

 

 

Each of us walks with a different gait pattern, meaning that our footsteps are aligned and spaced in a unique pattern. Some people march, others swagger, and still others shuffle along. Also the way our foot strikes the ground is unique. If a method can be devised to analyze heel strike, foot roll, and push-off then perhaps this might be useful evidence. In a recent paper published in the British Journal of the Royal Society Interface a group seems to have developed a process for obtaining three-dimensional images of footprints and their studies have revealed that this analysis is highly individual. They quoted and accuracy of 99.6%. If this turns out to be the case, then the analysis of footprints left in sand, soil, or another soft material might prove to be a useful forensic science technique.