Shoeprints have been used as a law enforcement tool for over 200 years. In 1786, William Richardson committed a murder and while trying to flee the scene he entered swampland which left footprints on a path. Deputy Stewart took a print and noted that it was a shoe with a rounded toe and that the shoe had nails on the sole. Every male present at the funeral had to have his shoes measured and inspected. This procedure led them to Richardson, who tried to deny any involvement, but with witness statements, footwear evidence and other traces he was convicted of murder; he confessed to the crime before being executed (Chambers, 1832). This article will focus on the identification, collection and analysis of footwear impressions. The most important thing at the crime scene is evidence. Evidence comes in all sizes and shapes; it can be visible or latent, i.e. not visible to the naked eye. It is the job of all personnel at the crime scene to find the person responsible for the crime, but it is the job of the Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) to locate, recover and examine any evidence left behind. Criminals leave some type of evidence at the crime scene: fingerprints, impressions, DNA or traces. “Whenever two objects come into contact, there will be a mutual exchange of matter between them” (James & Nordby, 2009). This means that a person will leave evidence and take it with him, without even meaning to. Position The first responder's job is to provide aid to the victim and protect the area. When cordoning off an area, keep in mind that useful evidence exists outside the area where the crime actually occurred. For example, if someone was stabbed in a house and the dot… in the center of the paper… can detect fingerprints we are able to trace the suspect's movements at the crime scene. Works Cited Bodziak, W. J. ( 2000). Footwear impression evidence: detection, recovery and examination. Boca Raton: CRC Press.Chambers, W. (1832, March 10). Chambers' Edinburgh Journal. Retrieved from Maxwell Ancestry: http://www.maxwellancestry.com/ancestry/images/cej/0041.jpgHilderbrand, D. (2013). Footwear, the missed test. Retrieved from Crime-Scene Investigator: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/footwear.htmlJames, S. H., & Nordby, J. J. (2009). Forensic science: an introduction to scientific investigative techniques. Boca Raton: CRC Press.Phillips, P. (2012). Shoe testing and theft detection: leaving a lasting impression. Excerpt from The Night Shift: http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/footwear-evidence-theft-detection-leaving-a-spiring-impression/