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FACT BRIEF

Does a mismatch between lunar boot prints and Neil Armstrong’s smooth-soled ‘space boot’ confirm US astronauts never walked on the moon?

By Kaiyah Clarke
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NO

Why do the photos of Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin's 1969 walk on the moon show a textured tread while the space boots have a smooth sole?

Social media may think this is fishy, but there's an obvious explanation. Just like you do on an icy day, the astronaut wore "overshoes" over his space boots.

Both Aldrin and Neil Armstrong got to walk on the moon.

As for why those overshoes aren't on display as the space boots are, they were left behind along with other detritus to allow for the added weight of lunar rocks and dust samples.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Air and Space Museum Apollo Overshoe
National Gallery of Art Buzz Aldrin's Footprint
Forbes The Apollo 11 Astronauts Left A Lot Of Junk On The Moon
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.