I used to travel very frequently between Korea and the United Kingdome, since my parents are in Korea but I studied and worked in the UK. Whenever I go through the airport I get very nervous at the sercurity check for no reason at all. airport security is a necessary precaution to ensure the safety of all passengers. One of the most common security measures is the metal detector, which is used to detect any metal objects that may be hidden on a person’s body. We all probably seen people taking their boots off for the security check. Will my boots set off the alarm at the metal detector?
TL;DR it depends on the type of boots you are wearing. Many boots have metal zippers, buckles, or other metal parts which will trigger the alarm at the metal detector. However, there are also many types of boots that are made without any metal. If your boots do not have any noticeable metal it will not set off the alarm at the metal detector.
Sometimes boots that does not seem to have any metal may cause the alarm to go off. This could be due to the metal shank or steel toe-caps inside the boots.
It’s worth to check if your boots have steel toe or not by checking with the manufacturer. Some boots, such as Grant Stone boots, Blundstone boots and many other boots have steel shank in their midsole. This is to provide support and so that the outsoles do not collapse.
Some boots may seems like they have steel shanks, but in fact they have leather shanks.
White’s boots are a great example of boots without steel shanks and yet, they look like they will set off airport security alarm.
The eyelets of the boots are often made of brass.
There are some type of metal that do not trigger airport metal detector. For example brass, surgical steel, copper and aluminum will not set off the metal detector.
Okay I know, it sounds very confusing, but the best way for you to do is to wear boots or shoes without metal components or remove them before passing through the metal detector.
Please also note that this is a general information and the airport security procedures may vary depending on the airport or country you are travelling to, always check the airport website or contact them for the most updated information.
