Footsteps effect is slightly pay-2-win as it helps to avoid damage

Movement is an essential aspect of defense in PoE. An important part is to not backtrack into projectiles, explosions, etc.
In this respect, the footsteps effect makes it easier to track where your character has been recently and helps you avoid damage.

Please, make the trail shorter to avoid this.

The Heritage footprints seem specifically designed for tracing your own footsteps.

I'm dubious about gameplay advantage though, since at least in my case, 99% of the time I retrace my own steps while under a barrage of attacks, it's because click to move decided to pathfind me directly into the path of oncoming projectiles so as to go around a tiny hill.