Odds that I'll get secondaried with these shoes?
 

Here.

I'm figuring 2 to 1. :D

Seriously, they're right at an inch on the sole (assuming the white about the gel in the heel counts) ... am I pushing my luck with these?

I think this depends completely on which airport you're flying from. I've walked through with thicker shoes in a couple of airports recenty, but if it's a carnival airport, they'll send you to secondary.

... which, unfortunately, more and more airports are becoming :(

I will check out ROA this weekend, which hasn't been a carnival in the past... although given my experiences at CRW two weeks ago, and the reports of various other FTers, smaller airports are increasingly becoming carnivals. I would guess they sent their staff off for new rounds of "indoctrination," as previously they were all OK. Maybe DHS sent inspectors around who wrote up employees who let them through with 1.1" soles, etc. :mad:

Double Talk
 

The one inch rule must be double secret. The TSA website Helpful Hints for Carnival Patrons:

Travel Tips

Am I wearing the right shoes?

You are NOT REQUIRED to remove your shoes before you enter the walk-through metal detector. However, TSA screeners may encourage you to remove them before entering the metal detector as many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector DOES NOT alarm.

Footwear that screeners will encourage you to remove because they are likely to require additional screening:

Boots
Platform shoes (including platform flip-flops)
Footwear with a thick sole or heel (including athletic shoes)
Footwear containing metal (including many dress shoes)

Footwear that screeners are less likely to suggest you remove includes:

"Beach" flip-flops
Thin-soled sandals (without metal)

TIP: Since a thorough screening includes x-ray inspection of footwear, wearing footwear that is easily removable helps to speed you through the screening process.

End quote.

Note the words used: "may, many types, will encourage, likely, less likely, suggest." Not a single "shall" or "must" used like in real rules.

Every one a non definite, open ended, can't pin them down, can't say for sure what the rules are, can't get them for not following the rules, 100% waffle wording that can be interpreted either way and still be correct. Written in true government burro-crat speak.

I would respect them more if they simply wrote the truth:
Dear Shoeless Cattle: Welcome to Screening. Rules, None. We make them up daily. No matter what, we are always 100% right. We are the final authority on what the rule is today. Your input does not count and is not welcome. Thanks for paying us. Have a nice flight. Enjoy your free pretzels. TSA: We're with the Government, and We're Here to Help.

Not really. If they were boots I could say that you would be SSSSed. Don't worry.

I'd try thinner-soled sneakers if I were you. From the picture, those shoes look too close to 1" to pass muster at most of the carnival/borderline carnival airports like IAD, DCA, and BWI (though TSA at BWI's always a crapshoot when it comes to shoes).

Yeah your gonna have to de-shoe, my sneakers look thinner than that and I have to take them off each time. One inch is really dependent on the screener making a judgement call of what is one inch and the mere design of those make them look chunkier than an inch IMHO.

You're KIDDING, right? If you fly BAREFOOT, you'll have to take THOSE off, too. They're thinking of supplying band-aids for the reattachment process since later you'll be in a sterile area...

I've been trempted to travel wearing speedos only just to easy the trip past the TSA, but I wouldn't want to torture my fellow travelers.

I have had my bare feet wanded after taking my sandles off. I got secondaried for telling the TSA folks that the shoe carnival was idiotic. I have walked through with tennis shoes similar to the ones in the picture without problems.