Moonshiner Boots - Anti tracking

TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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I was watching ' Ted K ' on Netflix or Prime the other day - obviously documenting the life and crimes of Ted Kaczynski's Unabomber life - in one scene which I assume is taken from his confession he is sabotaging a piece of timber machinery whilst wearing a set of shoes with a smaller set of instep shoes screwed to the bottom to give the profile impression of a smaller person being the culprit..



( After typing that up I realise their is a nice etymological link between Sabotage and the act in which he conducted it )
 

Paul_B

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Jul 14, 2008
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And then they see the depth of the impression and work out weight of individual. Not a small person but a man about xxx pounds and based on typical proportions a fairly narrow height range. I seriously doubt law enforcement, at a particular training level, would be fooled that easily. Especially the law enforcement likely to be looking for the unabomber.

Probably the best disguise is being average shoe size and average weight wearing a very common shoe brand. If you're lighter than average a rucksack of weight. If you're heavier lose weight before your bombing campaign. I'm fortunate in that my shoe size is very average. I'm tall but not overly heavy so perhaps a fat shorter man based on my footprints.

I have not given this much thought and I'm not on the run. Just to clarify. Besides for some reason I'm memorable. I often got greeted in the past by ppl I've never met who knew me like a friend. University years well spent?! Anyway I'm possibly not a good build to pass unnoticed if I was a terrorist or bootlegger type. Mind you one of my American ancesters did earn a bit selling illicit alcohol but she was an old lady then and sold to the great and the good so was protected! No fast car or funky shoes needed. I could imagine the car chase. A little old lady, barely able to look over the steering wheel, getting chased by cops in her Sunday best car at a few mph! Eventually stopped, but making a move sale in the process! :)
 

TeeDee

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And then they see the depth of the impression and work out weight of individual. Not a small person but a man about xxx pounds and based on typical proportions a fairly narrow height range. I seriously doubt law enforcement, at a particular training level, would be fooled that easily. Especially the law enforcement likely to be looking for the unabomber.

Probably the best disguise is being average shoe size and average weight wearing a very common shoe brand. If you're lighter than average a rucksack of weight. If you're heavier lose weight before your bombing campaign. I'm fortunate in that my shoe size is very average. I'm tall but not overly heavy so perhaps a fat shorter man based on my footprints.

I have not given this much thought and I'm not on the run. Just to clarify. Besides for some reason I'm memorable. I often got greeted in the past by ppl I've never met who knew me like a friend. University years well spent?! Anyway I'm possibly not a good build to pass unnoticed if I was a terrorist or bootlegger type. Mind you one of my American ancesters did earn a bit selling illicit alcohol but she was an old lady then and sold to the great and the good so was protected! No fast car or funky shoes needed. I could imagine the car chase. A little old lady, barely able to look over the steering wheel, getting chased by cops in her Sunday best car at a few mph! Eventually stopped, but making a move sale in the process! :)

And yet it happened. Reality meets Theory.
 

Pattree

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Jul 19, 2023
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Yep. Reevers (Cattle thieves) shod horses backwards. A tracker would know straight away but all they were looking for was a few minutes delay to disperse.
 
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Paul_B

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Ideas vs reality, with reality that most pro trackers or forensics won't be fooled. It's the less professional say the old time posse made up of townsfolk or small town officer. It's scary how much information a skilled tracker gets from what he/she sees.
 

TeeDee

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Ideas vs reality, with reality that most pro trackers or forensics won't be fooled. It's the less professional say the old time posse made up of townsfolk or small town officer. It's scary how much information a skilled tracker gets from what he/she sees.

It is, which I cant attest to after doing quite a few tracking courses with skilled and experience served tracking teams.
However - they are now and I'm sure in the past were the exception rather than the rule.
The shoes above were created and used to fool/distract the local law enforcement in the moment ,not the detailed science backed forensic we tend to think of now.
 

Falstaff

Forager
Feb 12, 2023
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How many pro trackers get involved in investigations?
Ray Mears apparently. The Moat guy ? In Mr Mears book he explains he was called in, tracked the guy to a copse but was pulled off. Subsequently, the Police surrounded him and either he shot himself or the Police did, was a bit of controversy about that.
 

Stew

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Nov 29, 2003
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Ray Mears apparently. The Moat guy ? In Mr Mears book he explains he was called in, tracked the guy to a copse but was pulled off. Subsequently, the Police surrounded him and either he shot himself or the Police did, was a bit of controversy about that.
So one. :p

I don’t think Raul put on different shoes to fool anyone either.
 

C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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And then they see the depth of the impression and work out weight of individual. Not a small person but a man about xxx pounds and based on typical proportions a fairly narrow height range. I seriously doubt law enforcement, at a particular training level, would be fooled that easily. Especially the law enforcement likely to be looking for the unabomber.

Probably the best disguise is being average shoe size and average weight wearing a very common shoe brand. If you're lighter than average a rucksack of weight. If you're heavier lose weight before your bombing campaign. I'm fortunate in that my shoe size is very average. I'm tall but not overly heavy so perhaps a fat shorter man based on my footprints.

I have not given this much thought and I'm not on the run. Just to clarify. Besides for some reason I'm memorable. I often got greeted in the past by ppl I've never met who knew me like a friend. University years well spent?! Anyway I'm possibly not a good build to pass unnoticed if I was a terrorist or bootlegger type. Mind you one of my American ancesters did earn a bit selling illicit alcohol but she was an old lady then and sold to the great and the good so was protected! No fast car or funky shoes needed. I could imagine the car chase. A little old lady, barely able to look over the steering wheel, getting chased by cops in her Sunday best car at a few mph! Eventually stopped, but making a move sale in the process! :)

Ted K. 5foot 9 inches. No weight given, but average to thin appearance.
Average BMI for that height, 19 to 25, with weight variation of 130 to 170lb and an ideal for a 40 year old of 152 to 160lb.
Reverse that ideal range alone and ask what the height range is for that weight range, given you don’t know age or build, and you get a range so large as to be worthless, about 10inches. Shoe size average for 5’9” is US 9.5 to 10.5. Wear sub size shoes and that is just more variability.
 

Ozmundo

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Jan 15, 2023
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An ex-colleague of mine runs a firm training anti-poaching trackers. Not in the UK but they are active all the time.

Had a go at being hunted by Rangers service once, much like the Ray Mears episode. They will find you, it's just how long. They are reading the ground and assessing where you will go. Hiding, you will be spotted. Moving is the only option but they will eventually overtake you an you've walked into an ambush. It was fun as an exercise.....
 

Tengu

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Jan 10, 2006
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So, the obvious answer to that is to eliminate anyone with such skills first.

(I myself, would show them some bigfoot prints...but maybe that is too clever?)

Didnt Llewelyn the Last have backward shoes put on his horse to so say fool pursuers?

(I doubt this would work, except maybe to identify a particularly cunning foeman).

And Didn't the Australian Aboriginals have shoes made from emu feathers glued together with human blood to put off trackers?
 

Wildgoose

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May 15, 2012
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Footwear/foot marks can tell you a lot about your quarry. Still used today in crime scene investigation.

Remember historically people might of only had one pair of shoes or boots, often handmade, so a print would be more valuable than today’s “size 10 altberg” mark.
 

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