I'm pretty sure I did not get to keep my shoes on through TSA in 2004. It may not have been mandatory nation-wide until ~2006, but the origin is a 2001 incident.
Yes I think the author is mixing it up with the liquids ban. And in my limited experience, at major airports with new scanners, people care much less about both of these now.
At the expense that you have to do human observed naked scans. Pre 2001 US would freak the fuck out about that. It's 2026 normal, but like most things it is pre 2001 very very not normal.