Shoes. While shoes won't alarm any metal detectors (unless they're steel-toe cap), airport security will ask you to take off any boots, heels or high-top trainers. All other shoes are okay to wear and can be kept on unless told otherwise.

As of July 8, 2025, the TSA officially ended the nearly 20-year mandate requiring passengers to remove their shoes at U.S. airport security checkpoints. This means that in 2026, you generally do not have to take your Converse off, regardless of whether you have TSA PreCheck or are in a standard security lane. The policy change was made possible by advanced "layered security" and the full implementation of Real ID requirements, which rendered the "shoes-off" rule superfluous. However, there is a small caveat: if your specific pair of Converse (such as certain high-tops or platform versions) contains a significant amount of metal in the eyelets or aglets that triggers the walk-through metal detector, you may still be asked to remove them for a secondary X-ray scan. Outside of the U.S., many international airports—particularly in Europe and Asia—still maintain the shoe-removal requirement for standard passengers, so you should always be prepared to "unlace" if the local security officer gives the instruction during your international travels.