Walking through Security with or without shoes
 

I have noticed people discussing wearing shoes or not wearing shoes when going through security at airports.
This past weekend we took a small trip by airplane. This required a walk through the security zone at Newark Airport.
While the workers were quite polite and smiled, they are very no nonsense. I was wearing small, thin soled, strappy sandals, with the express purpose of seeing if I could get away with NOT taking them off for the scanner. Right away, the man said take off your shoes.
So I did. I tip toed across the icky floor and while grabbing my shoes and rubbing the germs off my bare foot with a tissue (think it worked?) I asked what would happen if I just preferred to keep the shoes on.
The nice security man said-" Oh, you can, but then we will have to search you, ALL of you"..
I did notice that the floors were very shiny, maybe they decontaminate them frequently.
I was happy to do this research for all of you and I am glad to say that my feet are fine. No sores, blisters or strange growths.(but I did notice that the Pup is very interested in them)

Unless you're sure your shoes have no metal (buckles, or a metal strip within the sole, for example), it's best to just throw them in a bucket. If you don't care to tippy toe across the icky carpet, wear shoes with absolutely no metal.

If your shoes make the alarm sound (and it's not just your shoes, but the total of the metal you have on your person: jewelry, watch, eyeglasses, pocket change, gum foil, etc.), you'll be forced to wait aside then endure the full body scan.

PS Be advise that an underwire bra may just tip the alarm.

Scarlett, it's always wise to keep a pair of peds in your handbag just for these occasions. You can always keep a used pair in your purse that you get in the shoe department when you try on shoes at the store.

In Las Vegas last year, I got a "random check" from security. She ran the wand over me, my watch made it beep. Because of that, I asked about the underwire and she said that they know not to hold the wand so close to the bra/chest that it would set off the wand.
I have Purell in my bag, ( escalators creep me out) ~ so I used that on a tissue on my feet :D

Traveled with 4 people last month through Boston, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, San Diego - no one had to remove shoes.

While walking barefoot through any part of an airport is not something I would choose to do if I had a choice, I can not think of any significant disease one could get through intact skin on the bottom of ones feet. Many other ways to acquire germs while traveling that would be more effective!

As I went through security in Newark last Wednesday, everyone was automatically taking off there shoes. I waited. The security guard looked at my black leather reboks and asked,"sneakers?". I said,"yes". He motioned me through. On my way back on Sunday in London no one was asked to remove shoes.

I only had to remove shoes once, they were boots. I had socks on, so walking on the floor was no biggie.

The smart thing to do once you removed your shoes would be to wear socks when going thru security and then, later on, remove them if you want to.

Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out how to avoid walking on the yucky airport floors.

Having seen this subject discussed on these boards in the past,this post was meant to be informative, not a question. I just wanted to share my most recent experience with a little humor.

luv2fly-Funny you should say that, my Yankee IS a brain surgeon!
You are obviously a man, no woman would wear strappy summer sandals with socks!
But thanks for the advice.
djkbooks, I forgot that I was wearing a heavy sterling bracelet and I breezed through that metal detector, is that good or bad :)
I find it interesting that different airports don't ask for travelers to remove their shoes. Why don't all airports have the same safety standards?
leslie, I saw a lady with something like peds-I will keep that in mind~

If you wear Rockport shoes be prepared to take them off. All Rockport shoes have a metal shank with sets off the detectors.

All the screeners know this and will tell you to take them off even before you go through since they know the alarm will sound.

They still Xray them and run the swab looking for explosive.

I'll wear my sneakers next time.

MM

Scarlett, just had the same experience. I was wearing leather thongs with a small heel (my feet were totally exposed) & had to take my shoes off. People in closed sneakers did not. It makes no common sense. Evidently shoes with heels often have a metal thingy inside where the heel meets the sole. It sets off the alarm so they're forced to search you. Ain't bureaucracy great.

Scarlett, I went through the same thing in July at LaGuardia. I had on a pair of thin strappy heeled sandals (there was only 2 thin straps, so my feet were basically completely exposed) and I was asked to remove my shoes along with everyone else, including those with sneakers! Maybe because this was right after that shoe bomb incident, but I was still kind of surprised that I was told to remove my shoes. Next time I'll wear a pair of plastic flip flops! LOL

Yankee Brain surgeon? :?

Here is a link to what some podiatrists have to say about airport ((w))shoe removal ((w))hazards:
http://content.health.msn.com/conten...e/73/81927.htm

LOL, JohnD, I know, you are having trouble with the Yankee and Brain in the same sentence :)
Thanks for the article, I am happy that I had my little bottle of Purell.
I remember when they first started this shoe removal business, they were only doing it to little white haired ladies, so maybe this is just to make us all feel equally suspicious :)

In response to Mclaurie's comment about inconsistency, the usual practice of letting people through without taking off sneakers does make sense. To explain: The guards ask anyone wearing shoes that might contain metal to take them off so as to speed up the process (i.e., avoid setting off the alarm, etc.). Sneaks are not likely to contain metal. However, if they did and set off the alarm, the individual would be scanned.
Now, you ask, "Why not just have everyone remove his/her footwear?" The answer might me that they perhaps want to inconvenience as few people as possible and still take security precautions.

Scarlett - just to add to the belief that they are inconsistent:

I flew from DC (Dulles) to Raleigh this past weekend, and also from DC (Reagan) to Colorado Springs the week before.

Both times when I was asked (told?) to take my shoes off (Ked-type sneakers), I said that they never set off the detectors so I'd like to leave them on (I was very polite about it).

I went through both securities without being searched and without taking off my shoes. No problems, no attitudes from security, etc.

Just thought I'd share.
Karen

Funny that flip-flops were mentioned. In Honolulu last year we saw an approximately 12 year old girl singled out for the remove your shoes so they can be swabbed for bombs routine. And she was wearing obviousely well worn flip-flops. It was pretty funny.

At the security area in the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, a supply of paper booties was available for people who removed their shoes. Sounds like a good idea for other airports, too.

Now that is using their heads! I would wear a paper booty :)

On my recent trip from LAX to Honolulu and back again everyone at both airports was required to take off their shoes - no matter what kind they were wearing. It is inconvenient, but for the sake of expediency - not setting off the alarm & having to be searched - as well as for security reasons - it's okay with me.

I think sometimes it's not whether the shoe has metal or not, but if there is a heel or a thick sole (like a clog) that could be hollowed out and something hidden inside.

I always wear slip off shoes with socks when I travel anyway, for comfort, so it's not been an issue for me. But in spite of the article on what you can catch by going barefoot, I always do so in hotel rooms, the gym locker room, swimming pools, etc. and have never caught any fungus. I would be a lot more concerned about hand contact with surfaces that are loaded with bacteria than with where my bare feet are planted for a few brief seconds.

Hey Scarlett, hope you had a good time anyway!

Yes, Thank you, Marilyn, a good time was had by all :)

You can choose to not take off your shoes like I do. I will not take the risk of getting someone else's foot fungus :o As of yet I haven't been wanded down after saying "no". I just very firmly tell security there is absolutely no metal in my sandals and I'm not taking them off.

My husband wears size 14 shoes and he almost always get asked to remove them...must look like he could hide an arsenal in them!

I would urge others NOT to follow the actions of travelinwifey. This sort of "take no prisoners" attitude could create problems for you if you express it to the wrong person! I'm curious, travelinwifey, what would you do it you were ordered to take off your shoes?

The whole shoe-removal thing has never been an issue for me because I always wear socks when traveling. I don't know how you ladies travel in sandals - my feet would freeze from the air conditioning on the plane!

Plus, don't you want to "travel light" and wear your heaviest shoes (like sneakers or boots) when you travel, so you don't have to carry them?

Suzanne,
In my case, we were flying to a beach destination, sandals were the shoes I wore the entire time there. I actually managed to only bring one other pair (sandals) because of that!
Of course, if it were fall/winter, I would wear socks with my shoes/boots. Then I would only wish that I could burn my socks after walking across the fungus floor :D

Howard, I don't have a "take no prisoners attitude", sorry if it came off that way. Passengers are no longer required to take off their shoes. I have no problem being wanded down, but for sanitary reasons I will not take off my shoes.

I'm still curious what would happen if the checkpoint provided "booties" and if a security guard wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

"travelers are no longer required to take off their shoes"
When did that happen? As of Monday, they were required to at Newark.
If I were to inform a TSA agent that "I am not taking my shoes off"- I can imagine how happy he would be to send me off to be strip searched !
To tell the truth, I am happy they do whatever they can to be sure we are safe, so I am not complaining about taking off my shoes, only about the idea of the icky floors!
But as we can see here, we all adapt and manage to travel and keep our feet clean too :)

We had to remove our shoes just over two weeks ago at LAX. Last week my partner had to remove his shoes at Dayton, Ohio. I was at Ft. Myers RSW two days ago and they were requiring people to remove their shoes. Tomorrow I'll find out what they're doing at Ft. Lauderdale. I'm not sure where you got your information, travelinwifey, but I for one would do whatever they ask.

Scarlett-Sounds like you didn't get much power walking done. ;-) The disposable peds is a good idea. As for wiping your feet off with a kleenex, wet ones makes a travel size antibacterial wipe that fits neatly in your purse. Don't leave home without them.

I've only had to do that once and it was in Providence.

Scarlett, as of this summer passengers are no longer required have to take off their shoes. it happened about the same time random screening stopped. The screeners can request it, but you can also refuse. Then you may get "the wand". You will not be strip searched if you say no. There was an article regarding this in the USA today in july. Unfortunately I can't supply with the web site, but yes, you can say no and not be strip searched.

Here's an article regarding shoe removal: www.executivebtitravel.com/travel_news.htm
The shoe controversy....
you may decline but are much more likely to be selected for secondary screening.

Frankly, I'd rather just take off my shoes than go through the bother of being wanded.

Well, wifey, I must get that article and hand it to the nice TSA man at Newark Airport. He made me take off my shoes! Actually, so did the lady at the scanner machine. Maybe they were all just interested in my lil ole feet?
Hmmmm~

The Article Says:

The shoe controversy?. To remove or not to remove

On July 10, Executive BTI Travel published an article from CNN explaining that Transport Security Administration workers were asked to back off on making travelers remove their shoes before walking through the metal detector, though they would continue to encourage people to remove them. Today (July 14) a look at the TSA website shows it is just a question of semantics. The TSA screeners will continue to encourage you to take off your shoes and submit them for X-Ray examination. If you decline you are much more likely to be selected for a thorough secondary screening. Our advice; wear clean socks with no holes to the airport.
____________________________________
This is just what happened. I started to walk through, they told me to take off my shoes. In no uncertain terms.
When I said I thought I could get away without having to take them off, he said you could keep them on but we would have to search you, ALL of you.
This article does not say that you do not have to take off your shoes. Just that they will search you if you insist on keeping them on.

It's not just one brand (I forget which one was mentioned) of athletic shoes that have steel supports. We buy el-cheapo's, but my spouse, after setting off the alarm, has learned to be prepared to take his off.

(Incidentally, while shoes were setting off the alarms, my carry-on was searched and they found -much to my surprised and overlooked dismay - not only a five\inch haircutting shears that I'd forgotten was in there (and had to scurry off and mail back to myself), but a fork - from one of my on-the-run lunches. Imagine my surprise to arrive at our destination and discover...the fork had been put back in my bag. Not to mention...the spear-sharp little cocktail pick that Midwest Express Airlines included with a cocktail..???


On our last flight (LV to Milwaukee last spring), after we, barefoot and checked over, had cleared the security gate and boarded the tram to the outer terminal..I was so choked up I couldn't speak for several minutes. I knew our lives had changed - forever - in those minutes around 9 a.m. in September two years ago. But to be faced with it...this way, for now and forever...was just so terribly, terribly sad.