Fly High: TSA Tells You the Best Shoes for Traveling

March 12, 2010 Comments (0)

Beyond catching your flight, one of the biggest goals of air travel these days is making it through the security screening lines with minimal trouble (read: no cavity searches!)

But what does this have to do with shoes? Well, recently the fine folks over at the Transportation Security Administration announced plans to this year purchase 100 new shoe scanning machines, meaning no more standing in your socks – or worse, barefoot – while waiting to pass through the security checkpoint!

If we’re being realistic, however, 100 machines aren’t going to be nearly enough to cover all of the nation’s airports, so until the TSA is able to outfit all airports, we’re going to have to continue to make smart footwear choices:

1.       Avoid shoes with steel parts. Sure, a steel toe cap would be an obvious no-no, but did you know a number of shoes – especially shoes touted as having orthotics or extra support – have a steel shaft for stability? These are sure to cause the sensors to kick into overdrive, so make sure you check the “ingredients” of your shoe before catching a flight.

2.       At this point in time, you’re more than likely going to have to take your shoes off, so make it easier on yourself – and the rest of the folks on line – and opt for something that you can slip on and off easily. For air travel, we love a good pair of ballet flats (just keep the embellishments to a minimum), mules or clogs.

3.       Don’t be fooled by the flip-flop. It doesn’t matter how much of your foot is showing – or how much you tell the TSA officer that you couldn’t possibly stash a bomb between your toes – flip flops are still considered shoes and have to be removed. Seriously – I speak from experience

4.       Less for security, and more for comfort, if you’re poised for a long-haul flight, select one of your roomier pairs of shoes to accommodate the foot swelling that inevitably occurs when you’re going the distance.

Lianne Woolley