McGarvey’s Words

Shoes are on our minds and, strange as that may read, I have the proof in hand. I know I am mulling on shoes because whenever a trip looms I find myself eyeing my shoes and trying to figure out which will sneak through the airport metal detectors without setting off any alarms. I frankly feel stupid whenever I am forced to take off my shoes and stand in the security line in socks (usually with a hole or two). I thought I was alone in my worries but, after briefly mentioning the shoe issue in an earlier column, you have deluged me with emails offering tips, suggestions, and your own experiences. I have been writing this column for almost a year and I have probed into important topics -- worldphones, too expensive hotels, laptop alternatives -- but never before have you emailed in such volume. Shoes definitely are on our minds.

There is something downright infantilizing about being forced to stand in an airport in stocking feet, or barefoot. We don't like it -- that's obvious from the email that has poured in -- but we understand that shoe bomber Richard Reed created a fear that wants scratching and so our government has acquired a serious interest in our feet.

The problem of course is that many good, rugged shoes feature steel shanks that are there to provide arch support and, generally, to strengthen the shoe. Search on "steel shanks" shoes and you are barraged not by mea culpas from manufacturers who have ensnared us in TSA searches. Quite the contrary. Shoe maker pages brag about the "stability," "support," and suchlike that steel shanks provide. In a best of all possible worlds, probably every shoe would have steel shanks.

But that is not our world, not as we enter 2004. What frequent flyers need now are good, sturdy shoes -- fit to handle the immense walks that our airports provide us -- but ones that won't set off metal detectors. Like what? That's where you come in, because readers have offered plentiful pointers:

o Ecco from Denmark -- these are faves of readers Daniel Sortwell and Bill Marvin who independently wrote strong endorsements. They are clunky, a bit pricey but, apparently, don't feature steel shanks in their construction. At least Daniel and Bill say they sail through security in their Eccos.

o Cole-Hahn -- that's the tip from Clyder Mercer, a onetime Johnston & Murphy fan who says he has switched to Cole-Hahn because J & M shoes pack steel and most Cole-Hahn loafers don't. Unquestionably slick shoes, the Cole-Hahns may be a 2004 solution.

o Allen Edmonds -- a tip offered by John Brier and John Falcetta. Brier shrewdly points out that the pricey Allen Edmonds often can be had at steep discounts at Nordstrom's semi-annual sales. Mark your calendars, shoppers.

o New Balance walking shoes -- that's the recommendation from Terry Barrett who says, "the shoes look like leather and go well with almost every pair of pants I have." And, for sure, they offer optimal comfort for long hikes around airports.

o Dunham boots -- that's what Ed Raniszewski wears and, he says, although they are rugged to the max, they feature fiberglass shanks that provide firm support but don't set off alarms.

o Birkenstock -- Ellen Morrison says they are the ticket for sailing through security and, honestly, while I personally own two pairs (turn up In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, bro'), I have never worn them to an airport or an office building. But, as Ellen notes, they are an option.

Not happy with any of these choices? Choices seem to be either flimsy loafers (all wrong for schlepping heavy bags around airports) or genuinely clunky shoes and boots (all wrong for emanating power at any meeting that doesn't take place on a hiking trail). Don't despair, however, because a strange reality is that nowadays it is entirely possible to do an Internet shopping search for "no steel shank shoes" -- and instantly you are offered up several dozen options, ranging from Rockport to Timberland to something formidable called the Magnum Midnight Work Boot.

Sweeter still for shoppers who want a reinforced foot but still don't want to set off whistles, do a search for fiberglass shanks -- and again there are dozens of sturdy options, from Timberland, Dunham, Teva, and more. That is a very cool proof of how useful the Internet is -- so bookmark these pages and remember them when next you are standing in an airport line with holes in your socks.

But will any of this solve the problem? An email from Jim Kennicott reminded me of my penultimate trip. Here's what Kennicott said: "Given the policy that seems to be in place at several airports around the country of selecting passengers who don't remove their shoes for 'special attention,' I have given up trying to pass the metal detector gates with shoes on. They still seem to be looking for Richard Reed signature model sneakers."

Yikes. Recently when I approached security at Tucson Airport I was all full of self-congratulation. Keys, coins, pens, cell phones had been shoved into my carry-on and I was wearing L.L. Bean sneakers with no steel shanks so I figured I'd ace this inspection. Wrong. I sailed through without setting off anything but, as Kennicott predicts, I was immediately snagged by TSA and put through the advanced check. Aarrgghh.

Which is why perhaps the best counsel comes from reader Fred Moritz who wonders why I've worked myself into a lather about all this: "I guess I have just gotten used to taking off my shoes," says Fred and that is a Zen serenity that just may be the ticket for 2004.

Tell us how you endure TSA checks -- the best emails will go here.

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About Robert McGarvey

Author of How to Dotcom (Entrepreneur Press), McGarvey is writing a book on Brain Wars, the rise of cognitive science and the search for truths about thinking. A onetime columnist for BizTravel.com, he is a frequent contributor to dozens of magazines, ranging from American Legion to Selling Power, American Way, and Rutgers. He has also contributed to Harvard Business Review. For the past five years, he has served as "The Ombudsman" for PORTHOLE Cruise Magazine. Still curious about McGarvey? Read up on him here.

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