Shoe removal policy gets the boot at SLC airport

The Salt Lake City International Airport. Photo: TownLift

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Getting through airport security just got easier. New regulations from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) mean you can keep your shoes on through security at SLC International Airport.

The change took effect on July 8 for all airports nationwide following an announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The shoe removal policy was initially put into place in 2006 in response to an attempt by an airline passenger to conceal a bomb in his shoe in December 2001. After nearly two decades, Noem confirmed that advances in technology have allowed them to discontinue this requirement.

“We’ve evaluated the equipment that every airport has and are fully confident with the no shoes policy that we still have the security needs in place at every checkpoint,” Noem said.

According to a post on TSA’s Instagram, footwear may still need to be removed or inspected. “While we’ve come a long way in advancements, our front-line officers’ attention to detail and detection skills are critical to our success,” read the post. “If an issue with footwear is detected, it will need to be resolved.”

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