footstep vs step

footstep and step both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
footstep	Yes	No	No	No
step	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, step is a hypernym of footstep; that is, step is a word with a broader meaning than footstep:

As nouns, footstep and step are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of footstep include footfall.

As nouns, footstep and step are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of footstep include pace, stride.

footstep (noun)	step (noun)
the act of taking a step in walking	the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down
the sound of a step of someone walking	any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
the distance covered by a step	a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance
	support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
	a solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed
	a musical interval of two semitones
	a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
	the sound of a step of someone walking
	the distance covered by a step
	a short distance
	relative position in a graded series

footstep (verb)	step (verb)
	measure (distances) by pacing
	move or proceed as if by steps into a new situation
	place (a ship's mast) in its step
	shift or move by taking a step
	put down or press the foot, place the foot
	walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified manner
	move with one's feet in a specific manner
	furnish with steps
	treat badly
	cause (a computer) to execute a single command