For nearly 20 years, one of the biggest hassles of going through airport security has been having to take off your shoes. The good news: that frustrating rule may finally be changing.
Recently, some airports, including LaGuardia Airport, have already started pilot programs allowing travelers to keep their shoes on at security checkpoints instead of removing them for screening as before. According to the New York Times, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun gradually relaxing the shoe-removal requirement nationwide, and internal sources say the change is essentially a done deal. A TSA spokesperson also said the agency has been looking for ways to improve the passenger screening experience without compromising security.
TSA has required shoe removal since 2006, after an attempted plot involving explosives hidden in shoes on a flight. But current screening technology can now detect suspicious items while travelers are still wearing their shoes. One more thing to note: TSA PreCheck currently also includes the benefit of keeping your shoes on. If this broader policy change is fully rolled out, many travelers may no longer need to enroll in PreCheck just for that perk. That said, PreCheck still includes other benefits, such as not having to remove large electronic devices, although some airports have already extended that policy to all passengers.
Overall, this would be great news for travelers. Going through security could become faster and a lot less annoying without having to bend down and take off your shoes. Hopefully, major airports across the country will adopt the change soon.
