Heads up, jet-setters—TSA might finally stop hatin’ on your sneakers.
According to NBC News, the feds are test-driving a new move that could let travelers at certain U.S. airports keep their kicks on while going through security. No more slipping off Jordans or Yeezys in the TSA line like it’s gym class.
A government source says this low-key rollout is part of a larger strategy that could be implemented nationwide if the trial run is successful. The agency hasn’t made an official announcement yet. Still, in a Monday statement, the TSA said it’s “exploring new and innovative ways” to enhance how it treats passengers, without compromising safety.
Since 2006, travelers have been required to remove their shoes at checkpoints, a rule introduced after Richard “Shoe Bomber” Reid attempted to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami in 2001. Bro tried to light a fuse in his kicks but fumbled the whole thing.
Passengers and crew shut down the system, and the plane landed safely in Boston. Reid caught a life sentence and now sits locked down in Colorado’s Supermax.
Ever since, TSA has been pressing folks to ditch their footwear in security lines. The rule’s been tweaked here and there, but never fully dropped. It’s been annoying flyers for years—even got clowned in a 2023 PreCheck commercial where travelers praised the one major flex: no shoe removal.
“It’s my favorite thing,” one of them said, dead serious.
Now, TSA is back in the lab, running a pilot program that might bring PreCheck vibes to everybody. If it hits, we could be walking through those scanners with our kicks laced and our dignity intact.
For now, the timeline’s murky, but momentum’s building. Keep your ears to the runway—your next flight might just be the one where you stroll through security like you own the tarmac.
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