Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, announced the change in a press conference on July 8. The new TSA policy went into effect immediately. “TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint," Noem said.

The new policy aims to increase hospitality for travelers and streamline the TSA security checkpoint process, leading to lower wait times.

The Transportation Security Administration's shoe rule expired on Monday, relieving fliers of the requirement to remove their footwear while passing through security before boarding a plane. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at Washington,