St. Louis, MO, November 5, 2026 — Webster Groves High School students are contributing to public safety efforts by compiling a database of shoe sole patterns, a project that assists local law enforcement and the FBI in crime investigations. The initiative involves students photographing shoe soles within local Walmart stores.

This comprehensive collection of footwear patterns serves as a valuable tool for investigators. When footwear evidence is discovered at a crime scene, law enforcement agencies can refer to this database to potentially identify the type and brand of shoe worn by a suspect. The program aims to create a detailed record that can aid in matching unique tread designs to evidence found at crime scenes, thereby helping to solve cases.

The process involves students systematically documenting the sole patterns of various shoe types available in retail environments. These photographs are then added to a growing database. While the summary does not specify the exact number of students involved or the duration of the project, it highlights the collaborative nature of the initiative between the educational institution and law enforcement agencies.

The FBI and local police departments utilize such databases to analyze and compare physical evidence, which can be crucial in identifying suspects and corroborating witness accounts. The contribution from Webster Groves High School students underscores a growing trend of community-based support for crime-solving efforts through citizen science and data collection projects.

The contractor involved in this initiative was not specified in the provided trend summary. The specific Walmart locations used for photographing shoe patterns were also not detailed. Further details regarding the timeline or the specific impact of this database on solved cases were not provided.


Story summarized from the original created by Marissanne Lewis-Thompson on www.stlpr.org, see more information here.

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