Two studies were conducted. The first study analyzed 21 shoes, and the second study analyzed 43 shoes. In each study, three areas of the shoe were swabbed for possible DNA evidence left from the wearer's skin cells: the heel, the lace/tongue, and the insole. The findings from the two studies show that DNA can be profiled from shoes in some instances, but not from every shoe. In the first study 38 percent of the shoes yielded a DNA profile; and in the second study, DNA profiles were obtained from 56 percent of the shoes. Apparently, environmental factors and the wearer's ability to slough skin cells determined whether or not DNA was found on the shoe. The lace/tongue region of the shoe provided more information about the wearer than the other areas swabbed. This may be because this is the main area of the shoe where the wearer is most likely to touch the shoe with his/her hand. On many of the shoes where DNA was found, the resulting DNA profile was of mixed origin or could be attributed to multiple persons. This could be explained by secondary transfers of sloughed cellular sources of DNA. The authors advise that if secondary transfers of DNA are prevalent on a shoe, caution should be used if DNA analysis is the only means of linking suspects to scenes. 3 tables and 16 references