No more shoes off: Airport security shakeup as TSA eases rules
July 9, 2025
Travellers flying through US airports will no longer be required to remove their shoes at security checkpoints, following a major policy shift announced by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The change applies to all domestic air travel and is part of a wider drive to improve passenger screening.
It ends a long-standing policy introduced after the 2001 “shoe bomber” plot.
TSA hopes to ease airport security delays
The new rule is expected to ease congestion at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints and reduce the overall time passengers spend in line.
Previously, only passengers in the TSA ‘PreCheck’ queue were able to keep their shoes on when passing through the airport security checkpoint.
“Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernise and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports,” said Noem. “As always, security remains our top priority.”
The secretary explained that the change is expected to drastically decrease passenger wait times at TSA checkpoints and improve the airport security experience.
“Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.”
The announcement marks the latest in a string of initiatives rolled out by DHS in recent months.
On 2 July, TSA unveiled the “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” programme offering perks such as expedited access lanes and discounted TSA PreCheck enrolment for uniformed service members and their families.
In May, the agency began enforcement of REAL ID requirements at airport security.
What triggered the shoes-off policy?
On December 22, 2001, just months after the 9/11 attacks, Richard Reid boarded American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami with explosives concealed in his shoes.
Mid-flight, Reid attempted to ignite the device but was unable to light the fuse.
He was restrained by fellow passengers and crew and the aircraft was diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport, where he was arrested.
Reid, who became known as the “shoe bomber”, pleaded guilty to eight terrorism-related charges and received a life sentence. FBI bomb technicians confirmed the shoes contained approximately 10 ounces of explosives.
At a preliminary hearing, an FBI agent testified that had Reid succeeded in detonating the bomb, it would likely have torn a hole in the aircraft’s fuselage and caused it to crash.
