Editorial: TSA gives ‘shoes off' policy the boot

Chicago Tribune

13 hours ago

Walking in stocking feet across a grimy airport as you make your way through security was the reality for many travelers for years. And if you happened to show up to security in sandals … well, we shudder to think.
But last week, the Transportation Security Administration ditched its 'shoes off' rule.
Good riddance. An irritant of modern life has been lifted. That doesn't happen very often.
Reducing security wait times — and, frankly, improving hygiene — is a good thing, and we're pleased to hear it. Nobody will miss the sights and smells that accompanied this security protocol.
Of course, we understand that post-9/11, everything changed when it came to keeping travelers safe. It was implemented after the attempted 2001 shoe bombing, in which Richard Reid, a British citizen and self-proclaimed follower of al-Qaida, attempted to detonate explosives midflight from Paris to Miami. Some countries introduced similar checks, though few maintained them as long as the U.S.
Still, the 'shoes off' policy is a legacy of early 2000s security thinking. The threat of a shoe bomb, while real in the early 2000s, is so low risk as to be negligible. Security agencies have adjusted priorities toward other, more sophisticated threats. Plus, programs like TSA PreCheck already allow vetted travelers to keep shoes on — and they've demonstrated that it's possible to maintain strong security standards without this requirement.
We hope that an end to stuffing our footwear into bins for the X-ray machine signals more progress to come in bringing the U.S. closer to how other airports around the globe operate. Modern airport scanners (like advanced CT scanners and millimeter wave scanners) can now detect threats without requiring passengers to remove shoes. These machines provide detailed 3D images and can spot anomalies inside shoes, laptops and even liquids.
For the TSA, there are many examples of how to improve processes.
The Netherlands uses CT scanners for screenings, allowing passengers to leave laptops and liquids in their bags. They also leverage centralized security checkpoints instead of TSA-style gate-by-gate screening, reducing redundancy and congestion. In the U.K., airports like Heathrow and Manchester are deploying 3D imaging CT scanners, too, eliminating the 100-milliliter liquid limit and need for laptop removal. And in Sweden, airports are adopting biometric gates and remote baggage screening.
The TSA is starting to adopt many of these more modern approaches. In 2023, the agency announced it was investing $1.3 billion to roll out more CT scanners at airports, adding that this new technology could reduce wait times by as much as 50%, while also improving threat detection. O'Hare is among the larger airports in the U.S. that have been using advanced CT scanners since at least April 2023, according to Condé Nast Traveler. Increasing adoption of this scanning technology more widely is a good next step for U.S. travel security.
We share the TSA's goal of safe travel, and understand that the threat from those who would seek to do harm remains high. Let's keep seeking ways to make the flying experience less miserable while preserving and enhancing security. It's doable.
Shoes on, dignity intact, we can now step toward a future of air travel with fewer hassles — preferably through a CT scanner.