That wearing flip-flops to a rock concert could be dangerous might seem obvious to many of us, but we all know those people who, when the weather finally gets warm enough, more or less refuse to wear actual shoes until the fall. These folks will wear flip-flops to a fancy restaurant, on a first date, or even to church. But venerable rock venue the Black Cat has a message for those of you committed to bearing your toes: it’s time to stop wearing flip-flops to the nightclub.

Black Cat owner Dante Ferrando told DCist that due to safety concerns, he started trying to ban flip-flops from the venue last year, though never went so far as actually enforcing the ban — he just posted a “no flip-flops” rule on the wall, instructed his door staff to remind people of the rule, and generally still let people in who were wearing them. But after a couple of concert goers had to be carried downstairs with foot injuries thanks to broken glass or crushed toes, he anticipates cracking down on flip-flops in the near future.

“Flip-flops are pretty much the same as bare feet,” Ferrando said.

The nearby 9:30 Club does not have a policy prohibiting flip-flops, though they recommend concert goers wear sensible footwear.

There’s no date set yet at the Black Cat for when strict enforcement of the no flip-flops policy will begin, and Ferrando said that it ultimately might depend on the kind of concert in question. He’d be less likely to turn away someone in flip-flops who was coming for a mellow acoustic show in the Backstage than he would for someone attending a sold-out punk rock show upstairs. In the meantime, though, Ferrando is hoping people who come to the Black Cat will just start adopting the rule for themselves, before he’s forced to turn anyone away from the door. The rule only applies to rubber flip-flops, and not to open-toed sandals, though Ferrando said he’s “not crazy about” those either.

Photo by cstein96