Ryanair passengers have been advised to stop wearing a certain item of clothing when travelling on planes. It’s named the garment that should be ideally avoided
Katie-Ann Gupwell Content Editor
12:22, 19 May 2026Updated 13:38, 19 May 2026
Ryanair has named the clothing item to avoid (stock image)(Image: Getty)
As we enter the busier travel season, those who regularly fly with Ryanair may be unaware of an important rule. It appears that when boarding a plane, passengers are advised to remove a specific item of clothing, as the airline states it shouldn’t be worn during certain critical moments.
The travel guidance was recently highlighted online by a woman known as Sarah Geissler, who drew attention to the rule in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Nevertheless, she flagged up something many people might not realise when heading off on their holidays, namely that a particular item of clothing should be taken off during flights.
This isn’t the only travel guidance of its type to emerge recently either. Just weeks ago, Ryanair also advised passengers to stop packing one particular item in their suitcases.
She posted a clip showing a sign on a plane seat, which appeared to indicate that heels are not permitted to be worn. Across the top of the clip, she wrote: “No heels allowed on your Ryanair flight.”
Sarah also joked that this was “bad news for baddies”, but it actually highlighted something significant. When it comes to air travel, there are some crucial things you need to understand, though it’s not quite as straightforward as it might appear.
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Indeed, while there are regulations you must observe regarding wearing heels when flying with Ryanair, this doesn’t mean you’re prohibited from wearing them at the airport. There are actually essential guidelines you should adhere to, particularly in the event of an emergency.
What you need to know
Although passengers aren’t prohibited from wearing heels when flying, it is strongly advised that they refrain from doing so. High heels considerably raise the risk of tripping in the cabin and can puncture the inflatable emergency evacuation slides.
For safety purposes, cabin crew will instruct passengers to remove their heels before using an escape slide in an emergency situation. This is precisely why it’s advisable to take them off before boarding, and perhaps opt for something more practical and comfortable instead.
Better still, you could avoid wearing them altogether. In the event of an emergency, all high heels must be removed before using the slide.
To guarantee a speedy exit, flight attendants recommend slipping them off before sliding, should an emergency situation ever arise. Passengers are also advised to leave their hand luggage behind in such circumstances.
In the footage circulating online, the video also revealed that wearing glasses or smoking should be avoided during such an emergency. It’s a subject that has previously sparked considerable debate on Reddit.
One person said: “Heels can damage an escape slide, and I’d guess that glasses, earrings and false teeth could be ripped out during impact. Hence, get them off before the event.”
Another noted: “My theory. Remove glasses, dentures. They may come loose and become lost (so, put them in a pocket).
“Remove high heels (especially important if you leave the plane via slide). Remove ear buds or headsets (so you can hear emergency instructions).”
A third also chimed in with: “The point is not to wear pointy things when coming down the inflatable slide in order not to make holes in it.”