"Screeners have been given explicit guidance on which shoes require X-ray screening. Loy said screeners are being instructed to encourage passengers to remove their shoes and submit them for X-ray examination. Passengers will not be required to take off their shoes before going through metal detectors, but should understand that their chances of being selected for a more thorough, secondary screening will be lower if they do. In most airports, TSA has found checkpoint lines move faster if people remove their shoes for screening.

While many people do not know if their shoes contain metal, Loy repeated that particularly thick-soled shoes and those with metal shanks or steel toes join other apparel, such as heavy metal jewelry and belts, that require secondary screening."

In a lot of the cases your all talking about, you refused to remove your shoes and they let you through. But that you were chosen for secondary anyway. That what the policy state will happen.

The policy doesn't tell you the critera we must use to select you into any depth. But the fact is, the policy states you have the option to remove or not reomove them before going through the walkthru, but if you get to the wanding pit, they must be removed or screened by ETD. That chocie was left up to the airports.

I don't agree with this policy but have to enforce it. But thought I might throw it out there. Those two paragraphs were taken fro TSA.gov.