What shoes should I wear?
If you have ballroom dancing shoes, definitely wear those. Many varieties of practice shoes, dance slippers, and dance sneakers are also fine, as are your stocking feet. No street shoes on the dance floor, please!

What are “Street Shoes?”
Street shoes are shoes that you have worn outside.

Why does the studio forbid “Street Shoes?”
Dirt, grime, and moisture tracked from outside damages floors over time and creates slippery, messy, or unsafe surfaces for dancing. The prohibition is just like your health club forbidding outside shoes in their facilities. They do not want their equipment or surfaces damaged. Furthermore, many people eventually purchase special-purpose ballroom dance shoes or dance practice shoes. Those people become rightfully upset when someone less considerate has tracked-in a mess that then damages the special shoes.