Just for grins - has anyone ever tried ****ering a bunch of shoe-goo on a pair of old tires then rolling it through crushed glass or something and letting it set up? It can't be any crazier than making your own studded tires.

Rear wheel slide in traffic is dangerous. You probably won't fall down, that happens when the front wheel slides, but you'll have other things to worry about (like a bus from behind hitting you in the back). A nice Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyre is around 30 euros. If you plan riding in traffic, it would be a safe choice.

Something with more aggressive thread is good for deep snow, if you plan riding in deep snow.

I have a pair of Schwalbe Winter marathons for my main commuter and a pair of the Nokians for my xtracycle. The Schwalbes are a bit better on the rolling resistance, but both are very good for icy conditions and the Nokians have some extra grip for snow, so there is a bit of trade off there. One thing I have found is that it is important to remember that your *shoes* probably do not have studs, so it is important to be very careful after coming to a complete stop!