Which of the following may indicate an individual characteristic found in a footwear impression?

The identification of individual characteristics in a footwear impression is crucial for forensic analysis, as it can directly link a suspect to a crime scene. When considering the provided options, marks of nails and pegs are significant because they can be unique to a specific footwear item. These features are often created during the manufacturing process or can be modified or damaged over time, leading to distinctive marks that can match a specific shoe.

Individual characteristics differ from class characteristics, which are attributes that could be shared among many footwear items within a certain category. While imprints of soles, patterns of wear, and depth of the impression can also provide valuable information about the footwear, they tend to indicate class characteristics rather than unique identifiers. Imprints of soles can show the make and model of the shoe but do not determine which individual shoe left that impression. Patterns of wear may indicate how the shoe has been used over time but lack specificity to a single item. The depth of the impression may help ascertain the weight of the individual but does not denote individuality of the shoe itself.

Therefore, marks of nails and pegs, being specific to individual footwear pieces, serve as a strong indicator of individual characteristics in forensic footwear analysis.