One of the most annoying things for most people when going to the airport is taking off their shoes.
Just think about it: You’re running late for your flight and rushing to go through security, only for the TSA agent to tell you to go back through security screening and take off your shoes.
Well, that will soon change.
The TSA has announced that shoes will no longer be required to be removed at some airports while being screened at security checkpoints.
NBC News had these details to share about the TSA’s latest decision:
It’s now OK to keep your shoes on at some airports.
The Transportation Safety Administration will allow passengers at selected airports to keep their footwear on as they go through security checkpoints, a senior government official tells NBC News.
People in screening lanes will have to keep their shoes on at selected airports, but the source said the relaxation of the rules could expand nationwide in the near future.
The TSA has yet to announce the move formally, but stated in a Monday press release that it is “exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”
Shoe removal has been part of the airport experience since 2006, when the TSA instituted the requirement, citing intelligence indicating a “continuing threat” of explosives.
The rule came after Richard Reid tried — and failed — to ignite his homemade shoe explosives on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami on Dec. 22, 2001.
Reid’s plan was disrupted when he struggled to light a fuse attached to his shoes, which contained roughly 10 ounces of explosive material, according to the FBI.
No more taking off shoes at the airport. Now let’s privatize/ abolish the TSA. Well done @Sec_Noem and President Trump! pic.twitter.com/0BLNSOslhm
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 8, 2025
Why was the “remove your shoes” policy ever put in place?
Well, it’s because of the infamous “shoe bomber” Richard Reid.
The FBI shared these details on the shoe bomber:
On December 22, 2001—just months after the 9/11 attacks—Richard Reid boarded American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami with homemade bombs hidden in his shoes.
During the flight, Reid tried to detonate his shoes, but he struggled to light the fuse. Crew members and passengers noticed and restrained him.
The plane diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston, and Massachusetts State Police officers took Reid into custody. Reid told FBI agents that he made the shoes himself.
On October 4, 2002, Reid pleaded guilty to eight terrorism-related charges. A judge sentenced him to life in federal prison.
This is the pair of shoes Reid—also known as the “shoe bomber”—tried to detonate. FBI bomb techs determined that the shoes contained about 10 ounces of explosive material.
During a preliminary hearing, an FBI agent revealed how dangerous the homemade bomb was. She said that bomb techs determined that the bomb would have blown a hole in the plane’s fuselage and caused the plane to crash if it had detonated.
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🚨 HIS NAME WAS RICHARD REID. REALLY?
“The Shoe Bomber.”
One guy. Sweaty socks. A busted fuse.
And TSA made 300 million Americans walk barefoot through filthy airports for 24 YEARS.Two decades of humiliation.
All because of "Richard Reid".Was he even real?
Or just the… pic.twitter.com/CXnC5LXaeu— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) July 7, 2025
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