There are numerous examples of great players who did/still do.... Bobby Jones, Snead, Nicklaus, Palmer, Hogan and Nelson (although Ben and Byron's foot action were not as pronounced). Bubba Watson is the poster child today obviously.
I'm just speculating, but it seems like lifting the heel on the backswing used to be a lot more prevalent back in the olden days than it is modern era. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the degrees of flexibility and overall athleticism, comparatively speaking... maybe it was a learned technique to facilitate more of a complete turn for those who weren't overly flexible back then.
As it relates to me, I was taught to keep my heel on the ground to help promote a more natural turning motion during the initial takeaway versus the tendency to 'lift' the club with my arms, and it also helped prevent over-swinging. Having played with a lot of golfers over the years, the one thing I've observed that most commonly seems synonymous with players lifting the heel is the tendency to also lift the club. And sometimes, early extension (standing up and coming out of one's spine angle).
But I'm a card-carrying member of the whatever works best club.