Podometrics: A New Methodology for Foot Typing

Abstract

Podometrics is an original and innovative system to establish cartographical and geometrical parameters for the human foot: a methodology for “mapping” the foot to determine foot types by anthropometrical classification. A methodology has long been evasive because of the challenging complexities of the foot with its unique shapes, components and many converging contours and angles. Foot typing efforts to date have not been particularly productive or effective because the emphasis has been mostly on external features rather than on both internal and external features; and also because the main focus has been on numerical measurement data rather than geometrical design. Further, foot typing has often included both structural and functional features, which sometimes tend to be conflicting and confusing by intermixing structural and functional types. Podometrics has numerous potential practical applications in various fields. For example, in orthopaedics and podiatry in establishing foot norms in the diagnosis and therapies of foot disorders; in the shoe industry for the design of shoe lasts and footwear, and enabling the development of a uniform system of shoe sizes for better shoe fit and more efficient biomechanics within the shoe; in physical anthropology for developing an anthropometric system for genetic or racial foot typing; in criminology for detection of body type via foot type obtained from footprints.

<p>Examination and Interpretation of Bare Footprints in Forensic Investigations</p>

“…Rossi described a method which he called his Podometric System that could be used by clinicians, rather than forensic practitioners, to describe foot types through categorising key landmarks of the foot and their relationship to each other. 9 Rossi's system was based on the placement of five longitudinal lines and five lateral lines through prescribed positions relative to the plantar surface of the foot with each set of lines converging at a central point (Figure 4). Although Rossi did not envisage his methods to be used in the forensic evaluation of footprints, those working in the field of footprints saw this approach as having the potential to be utilised, 89 although to date his methods do not appear to have been tested and used in practice.…”

“…For their previously described large-scale study investigating the uniqueness of the human footprint, Kennedy et al later devised a measurement approach which included a central axis to align each footprint vertically for analysis. 14,15 Reel et al 18 adopted this central axis approach by utilizing the inner and outer tangent lines of the footprint 9 with incorporation of Gunn lines ( Figure 5). Rather than drawing and recording measurements manually, Reel et al demonstrated high reliability using automated GNU Image Manipulation Program software.…”

“…1,2 A bare footprint can also show features from the skin of the plantar surface of the foot, namely papillary ridge detail and crease marks 3,4 and in these cases, a ridge pattern analyst would use this type of detail to demonstrate individuality to either establish or exclude associations with the postulated owner of that footprint. [5][6][7] Determination of the individuality of the human footprint shape for forensic identification purposes has been the subject of many studies [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] and whilst research in this area has indicated that footprint shape may be highly individual or even possibly unique, this is not certain. For example, Kennedy et al suggested a statistical probability of a 1 in 1.27 billion chance match between two independent footprints sharing the same morphological features.…”