Having pre isn't just the shoes:
Laptops stay in bags
Light hoodies jackets etc stay on
No body scanner
Usually a much shorter and faster moving line
GE is valid for 5 years, as I said before I can't go back.
Global Entry (which includes tsa pre but you'll have to go to an airport for an interview with CBP) all the way. If you only fly 1x/year then maybe it's not worth it.
I fly moderately frequently and I find it so worth it. But I also pay $179/year for Clear (I'm so thrilled at their expansion) since my home airport is a cluster and I'm generally willing to pay a premium for convenience, especially when travel is involved.
Older people usually get it for free. Not always but a lot of times. My parents always get it for free.
I keep hearing about Clear but what makes it so special? I know our baseball stadium has it as well as the local airports but I am having a hard time dropping 179 for Clear when I already paid 100 for Global Entry.
It honestly may not be worth the price if your home airport is reliable in terms of wait time for security and you're not incredibly impatient like me lol. Especially since clear is $179/year not 5 years like GE (though several Visa cards have a cheap first year and discounts after that).
In Disney terms, Pre is like a security fast pass and Clear is a FOTL pass lol. You don't have to have your ID out since you just scan your fingerprints at the kiosk (Clear has a special pre-security lane), then they take you to the front of the security line, either regular or pre.
You get a whole lot of evil side eye but I'm ok with that. Their whole premise is to get you through security in 5 minutes or less.