Recently, the analysis and prototyping of biologically inspired adhesive pads have been the subject of growing interest. Similar to biological counterparts, these synthetic adhesives consist of rafts of tiny protruding fibers. The adhesion performance of these micro-engineered products is highly dependent on the geometrical and mechanical properties of the micro-fibers and the surface they adhere to. Small fluctuations in these parameters can drastically change their adhesion performance. In this investigation, a comprehensive mathematical model of a single micro-fiber with adhesion capability in contact with an uneven surface has been developed and the behavior of the model studied. To provide more realistic results, this analytical model could be extended to an array of micro-fibers. Thus, in a further step, using a Monte Carlo simulation, we studied an array of these micro-fibers under more realistic conditions with several degrees of uncertainty. The results deduced by this novel modeling approach are in good agreement with the experimental measurements of adhesion performance in synthetic adhesive pads available in literature. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010