For contra dancing, shoes must be clean , soft , and comfortable . Most dancers bring special shoes that they only wear in the dance halls. In this way, sand and grit is not tracked into the dance halls, where it can quickly damage the wood floors. Shoes should also be soft, again to protect the wood floor. Finally, no one can dance if their feet hurt, so comfortable shoes are a must.
Some dances require that all dancers wear clean soft soled shoes.
In most case, you need not bring anything. A full night of dancing can be a lot of exercise, so food and water are important considerations. Finally, you do not need to bring a partner. And people who come with a friend or partner do not expect to dance with that person all night. Web pages by Richard Hart.