While I love the comfort of Rockports, they use more metal shanks than any other company. Even their tennis shoes have metal shanks. (They are infamous to the TSA--jut ask them.) I bought a great pair of Rockports. They were very lightweight, so I was very surprised to discover that they have an aluminum shank. I have to take them off every time. If you want to avoid walking through metal detectors in your socks, avoid Rockports.