DHS Officially Ends Airport Shoe Rule: Travelers Can Keep Shoes On at TSA Checkpoints

A day after news reports broke that the change was coming, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday officially confirmed the end of its “No Shoes” policy at airport security nationwide.

Effective immediately, travelers will be able to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. DHS’s pitch is that “the new policy will increase hospitality for travelers and streamline the TSA security checkpoint process, leading to lower wait times.”

Ultimately, the change brings an end to a two-decade-long rule that significantly slowed down the process of airport security. It all stemmed from a Dec. 22, 2001, incident when Richard Reid, a British terrorist, attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes during an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.

Reid tried to detonate his shoes, but struggled to light the fuse, and crew members and passengers noticed and restrained him. The plane was diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport, and Massachusetts State Police officers took Reid into custody. He was sentenced to life in federal prison in 2002. His shoes are now part of the FBI’s artifact collection.

The move by DHS is the second major change impacting airport security, often the most painful part of traveling, this year. The other is the long-awaited implementation of the REAL ID rule, which has seen a 94% compliance rate, according to the DHS.