Tampa International Airport set off a fresh travel debate this week after posting that Crocs and pajamas were “banned.” The message was meant as satire. Online, many people didn’t read it that way, or didn’t care that it was a joke.
The post went up on X on Thursday. It declared the airport had “successfully banned Crocs” and was now taking on “an even larger crisis” — pajamas at the airport. The language was dramatic on purpose. “Pajamas. At. The. Airport. In the middle of the day.”
Within hours, replies stacked up.
“In protest of the Florida airport protest against crocs I will now be wearing crocs on every flight I take,” one user wrote. Another posted, “Flying from JFK to Tampa in pajamas and crocs tomorrow out of pure spite.”
— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) February 26, 2026
Others were less playful.
“Tampa Airport banned Crocs. Now pajamas. Meanwhile my flight is 4 hours delayed but sure let’s talk about my pants,” one comment read. Another user asked why the airport was focused on clothing at all. “Can yall focus on actually cleaning your bathrooms for once and speeding up TSA lines instead?” they said.
That line — TSA lines — came up again and again.
The Transport Security Administration screened a record 858 million passengers in 2023. Holiday periods routinely push daily numbers past 2.5 million travelers. Delays, missed connections, staffing shortages. People remember those more than a social media joke.
Airport attire #tampa pic.twitter.com/4Auos831dx
— Salty By Design (@saltybydesign_) February 26, 2026
Tampa later told Newsweek the post was not a real policy change. No Crocs ban. No pajama ban. Just “lighthearted, satirical” engagement.
The airport has done this before. Last year, when TSA announced some travelers could keep their shoes on at select airports, Tampa posted, “*unless you’re wearing Crocs… you should take those off and throw them away.” It wasn’t binding then either.
Still, this time hit a nerve.
Tampa Airport, in the white trash capital of the US, wants you to leave your Crocs and PJ's at home. Might as well call it the Tampa Tuxedo. Stay comfortable. pic.twitter.com/guzrY5H9O5
— d bay (@Drbsbtrcup302) February 26, 2026
Part of that may trace back to comments from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy last November. Ahead of Thanksgiving travel, Duffy urged passengers to “dress with some respect.” He suggested swapping slippers and pajamas for jeans and a decent shirt.
That message — dress better, behave better — landed differently depending on who heard it.
So when Tampa leaned into the joke, people connected the dots.
“If they don’t smell bad and aren’t bothering anyone why do yall care so much?” one user wrote. Another said, “With the prices people are paying for travel they should be able to wear whatever they want.”
Crocs, for the record, are a $3 billion-a-year brand. They are worn by nurses, chefs, kids, retirees, travelers who want their shoes off fast at security. Easy on and easy off. That’s the point.
Tampa International Airport has launched a tongue in cheek campaign calling for a ban on pyjamas at the airport.
The message encourages travellers to dress for the day and help make TPA Crocs free and pyjama free. pic.twitter.com/l1kjbZAxEB
— Ticker (@tickercotweets) February 26, 2026
Airports don’t generally set dress codes beyond basic public decency laws. Individual airlines can deny boarding in rare cases, but Crocs and pajama pants are not banned apparel at U.S. airports.
The Tampa post is still up. Below it are hundreds of comments. Some of them are joking, others have an annoyed tone. There are even a few promising coordinated Croc-heavy arrivals in Florida.
If anything, the stunt should serve as a reminder that when it comes to airports, and the long lines, high prices, missed flights associated with it, people are already on edge. Shoes included.
