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,

After nearly two decades, passengers going through airport security in the United States will no longer have to take their shoes off.

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.