Do airports still make you remove your shoes at security?

[BlueberryBrambles]

Was going to wear my big boots to save the weight/luggage space but they are a pain to take on and off if we have to remove shoes still (not travelled for quite a while as you can tell!)

Yes

They’ll generally tell you to take off big boots even if they’re not asking others to take off ordinary shoes.

Depends on the airport, but yes

Yes for big boots

Depends on how big the shoe is I think. Whether anything could fit into the sole.

Completely depends on the airport. Things have changed a lot recently, some places don’t even make you remove laptops etc now, and I believe that at London City you now don’t need to take out your liquids.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t ! It’s a total pain in the backside as there’s no consistency.

Last month I wore the same pair of regular trainers for 4 flights,,,for 2 of the flights I had to take them off, for 2 I didn’t. What was annoying was 2 of the flights were from the same airport, and for one of them I had to remove my shoes, for the other I didn’t!

It does seem that the clumpier the shoes the more likely it is you’ll have to remove them

I had to take off my Doc Marten sandals. I’m assuming it’s because they have a thick sole.

Looks like I’ll be packing them then and wearing my trainers for ease!

If metal in your boots will cause sound they will ask you to take them off and walk through without to make sure it’s boots and not a weapon on you.

Yes for shoes with heels or thick soles. Basically where there is space to potentially hide something. But it's inconsistently applied, even in the same airport in my experience

If it would make a big weight difference not to have to pack them, I have sometimes taken big snow boots off at my leisure (ie sitting down somewhere before security), stuck on a pair of flip flops from my pockets and carried the boots through security in my hand. Or sometimes just walked in thick socks. The painful part is having to bend down and untie laces etc while juggling liquids, tech etc with a lot of impatient people behind you. Putting them back on afterwards isn’t such a pain.

Not from my recent experience. Manchester T2 - electronics kept in bag , shoes on , although toiletries were in a bag no need to have them in you tray , belts still had to come off

@Couchant thats a good suggestion thanks

I didn't when I travelled this year and I was wearing big thick walking boots (travelling in and out of Stansted to Europe).

We were in Manchester a couple of weeks ago and had to remove electronic s, toiletries, and shoes, plus coats.

Brilliant idea. Stolen anc noted.

Boots have to be removed but all other shoes don’t.

Newcastle do and you still need to take electronics out of your bag, although they did tell me that the new machines were awaiting installment.

As soon as I'm in the queue, my belt is off and bits and bobs in my jacket, boots undone and ready to whip off quickly.

Some do some don't. Absolutely don't count on not.

I've travelled to many EU and American airports. It was only in America that I have been asked to remove trainers that I always travel in.

In the UK I have seen people have to remove boot type shoes.

That’s possibly YOUR experience but not a hard and fast rule…I had to remove trainers a couple of weeks ago, just regular Nike Air, not big clumpy ones

I have the same problem. I am taking my boots as hand luggage as I am going on a walking holiday and I really really don’t want to loose them!
I plans to wear my sandals through security and when I have had all the checks put my boots on to get through the gate and on to the Airplane where they might check your hand baggage size.

It's an "it depends" - and inconsistency may well be deliberate.

It totally depends on the day I find, I travel extensively and sometimes get asked to take them off and sometimes don't, even though I wear a pair of slip on trainers consistently.