“This will significantly improve my personal airport experiences”: The TSA will stop making you take off your shoes to get through airport security

You can now keep your shoes on while going through the airport security check. Seriously.

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On July 8, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that travelers will no longer be required to remove their shoes during airport security screening.

The change takes effect immediately and applies to all airports across the country.

“TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint,” Noem said during a press conference.

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The announcement was echoed online by Karoline Leavitt, the current White House Press Secretary, who confirmed the update in a post on X.

Still, some passengers might be asked to take their shoes off during additional screening, depending on the situation or the tech at that specific checkpoint.

“Everything the TSA does has been necessary, but the tools we use have changed,” Noem said. “We’ve looked at what each airport has and feel confident that security won’t be compromised without the shoe rule.”

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Why did travelers have to take off their shoes in the first place?

The policy dates back to 2006, a few years after a 2001 incident where a man attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight.

In response, the TSA introduced a rule that required most travelers to remove their footwear during screening.

Over the years, some travelers got a pass, particularly those enrolled in TSA PreCheck, a program that lets low-risk travelers skip the shoe removal and a few other steps.

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Now, that perk is becoming the new normal.

People online are ready to move on

Reactions on social media were a mix of joy, sarcasm, and general disbelief.

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Over on a Reddit r/news post, one person commented, “At LAST. This has been a preposterous 20 years. Also, as a very much NOT a foot person, this will significantly improve my personal airport experiences. People’s feet weird me out.”

Someone else added, “Ruins my tradition of wearing mismatched socks.”

On X, a traveler shared their recent experience at LaGuardia airport:

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The official X account for Tampa International Airport even joked:

And a third X user was especially excited, feeling they got their dignity back:

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