On frozen walkways, however, shoe soles with these materials can cause ice to melt because of pressure from the wearer, creating the slippery surface the shoes are supposed to protect against.

Shoes have been around for a long, long time. Case in point: Ötzi the Iceman. He died and was frozen in a glacier around 5,300 years ago in the Alps. The ice preserved Ötzi, and his shoes as well.