Dealing with the TSA is one of the more frustrating parts of flying, and having to take your shoes off when you make your way through the security line is a particularly annoying aspect of that experience. Thankfully, it sounds like that particular step is about to become a thing of the past.

There are plenty of Americans who don’t know what it was like to take a flight before the TSA became a staple of the airport experience.

The agency, which falls under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security, was officially created in 2003 with the primary purpose of beefing up safety at airports in the wake of 9/11. It undoubtedly serves a purpose, but it’s become a major point of contention for flyers who’ve had to deal with the inconveniences stemming from an organization that is widely viewed as the encapsulation of security theater.

More than 20 million travelers have coughed up the fee required to enroll in TSA PreCheck, which gives you the opportunity to take advantage of a streamlined security line where you’re allowed to forgo formalities like removing your laptop and liquids from your bags before they’re screened.

You also get to avoid the minor but pesky inconvenience of having to take off your shoes before retrieving them from the plastic bin once you’re cleared to proceed to your flight, but it appears that courtesy is about to be extended to the vast majority of flyers.

According to CBS News, the TSA has already begun to phase out the shoe removal requirement at airports around the United States after Gate Access aptly broke the news of the impending development at the start of the Fourth of July weekend.

The outlet spoke with multiple sources who shared a list of airports where that rule will be repealed, which includes:

• Baltimore/Washington International
• Fort Lauderdale International
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
• Portland International
• Philadelphia International
• Piedmont Triad International
• LAX
• La Guardia

However, all signs point to the repeal being instituted at the vast majority of hubs in the fairly immediate future.

The TSA didn’t shed a ton of light on the reasoning behind the new development, although a spokesperson acknowledged the agency is “always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”

Why does the TSA make you take off your shoes in the first place?

The origins of the shoe rule can be traced back to Richard Reid, the so-called “Shoe Bomber” who unsuccessfully attempted to detonate explosives he’d concealed in his boots before boarding American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami on  December 21, 2001.

Reid was subdued by passengers after he attempted to light a fuse that was too damp to ignite, and he was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole before being sent to the notorious Florence ADX supermax prison in Colorado to serve out the remainder of his days.

The TSA didn’t actually institute the shoe screening policy until 2006, and it looks like it’s about to go extinct nearly two decades later (although travelers who have not obtained a Real ID may still need to deal with that hassle).

The post The TSA Will Finally Let Most Flyers Keep Their Shoes On After Rolling Back Its Most Annoying Policy appeared first on BroBible.