The elastic straps that cross over the top of the foot keep the flats in
place, which is incredibly handy for commuting
during rush hour and in all types of
weather — nothing is
worse than having your shoe slip off
during a mad dash for the bus in crummy
weather!
And they need to ensure increased risk of traffic / parking congestion and traffic accidents
during bad weather, as well as make sure safety / snow clearance arrangements are in
place for other
places — e.g. local sport centres.