Foot index: is it a tool for sex determination?

Identification of an individual is of paramount importance in forensic investigations. The dimensions of the foot can be used for the determination of sex and stature of an individual in forensic investigations. No systematic studies are available on the determination of sex from foot measurements of North Indians. Therefore, foot index is derived to determine the sex of an individual in a single community of North India. The foot index for both genders is derived by dividing the foot breadth by foot length and multiplying it by hundred. In the present investigation, the foot index is found to be slightly higher in females in the right foot and males in the left foot. The study suggests that although foot length and foot breadth show significant sex differences, sex determination cannot be made conclusively from the foot index.