* shoes | boots with sharp objects embedded in soles (glass, bent nails)
* extra spikey high heels,
* work boots with hard edged metal hooks for laces,
(etc) causing damage to both inflatable slipways and to other passengers.
How often has a passenger going down an emergancy slide caused a rip that deflated that slide?
Not very often .. and aircrew are taught to issue instructions that make that as an unlikely occurence as possible.
You’re right. What I said above used to be true. That seems to have been questioned in the 90s and in 2000 the FAA finalized a rule changing it.
The current recommendation (https://www.faa.gov/travelers/fly_safe/information) say you can keep your shoes on but to remove high heels, as you said.
A bit of googling says it was changed because of passengers injuring their feet on the terrain/debris after crashes. Additionally modern slides are much tougher than they used to be and won’t tear from shoes and probably even high heels.
But I bet high heels are probably not a smart thing to be wearing on possibly uneven debris covered terrain in an emergency when you need to move fast and safely.
Learn something new every day.