Travelers won't have to walk barefoot on bare floors through the security checkpoints at Honolulu International Airport anymore, because the state is installing carpet beginning next week to pad the way.

State deputy transportation director Brian Sekiguchi said the project is in response to complaints from travelers that they didn't like walking across the floor barefoot or in their socks.

But an informal polling of passengers going through security yesterday afternoon at the interisland terminal found a lot of travelers just didn't care.

Ken Miller, his wife and two children were vacationing from Denver. Although the checkpoint at their home airport has rugs, Miller said he's not sure that's the best solution.

"Are they going to disinfect the fungus out of the carpet?" he asked.

"It doesn't really bother me," said Leslie McDowell of Oregon, who thought paying for new carpeting sounded like a waste of money.

Kane'ohe resident Rachel Gilhooly was flying to Maui on business yesterday as she does frequently and said the checkpoints are OK the way they are.

Gilhooly doesn't see an advantage in walking on a public carpeted area over a bare floor. "I think either way it's gross."

Sekiguchi said seven checkpoints — four in the interisland terminal and three in the overseas terminal — will be carpeted beginning Monday night, after hours. Taking off your shoes for security started in the tightened screening that followed Sept. 11 and became a rule last summer.

The contractor, Close Construction Inc., also will carpet some airport conference rooms for a total cost of $236,675, with a completion date of July 23.

Sekiguchi said the state considered buying disposable booties to hand out as some Mainland airports do but decided against that. "We felt it would just add to the congestion," he said.

Gilhooly agreed that booties are not a good solution. She said the slip-on foot protection would likely add to the wait and the amount of trash generated.

Sekiguchi said the state ordered synthetic carpeting that will be vacuumed and shampooed, knowing that passengers want to walk on "clean and sanitized" carpet. He said it's a heavy grade designed to be laid in tiled pieces so it can easily be cleaned or removed.

So what kind of commercial carpeting is the state buying? Something pretty similar to that found in many offices, an industrial pattern with various colors that won't show dirt. Even the color sounds foot-friendly: moccasin brown.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.