Flip-Flops Banned At 2 San Juan Capistrano Parks

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO (CBSLA.com) — At least two parks in San Juan Capistrano have prohibited people from wearing flip-flops.

KCAL9's Brittney Hopper reported that visitors of Los Rios Park and the Dr. Joe Cortese Dog Park must wear shoes at all times.

The city said the ban is in place to protect people who are visiting the parks.

Some people believe the city over-stepped its authority.

"That would be a problem for me because I wear flip-flops most of the time," said a woman.

"I think people should be able to choose their own footwear and I think we can count on most people to use common sense," said a resident.

Steve Behmerwohld, a commissioner with the Parks, Recreation and Senior Services, said he's upset with the city for not asking for his input before creating the rule.

"This is very much a beach community," he said. "Most of the people in San Juan, or a good percentage, wear (flip-flops) on a pretty regular basis."

Resident Jeannie Whitmere said she agreed with the ban.

"When you're wearing flip-flops, you don't know which way your feet or toes are going to go and you could go down and have some serious injuries," she said.

Hopper reported that the rule actually isn't being enforced, however, because there isn't any supervision in the parks.