Nov. 15, 2007 Brooks Sports has introduced a biodegradable running-shoe insole that the company says degrades 50 times faster than traditional insoles.

BioMoGo midsoles include a non-toxic natural additive that can increase the rate of biodegradation by "encouraging anaerobic microbes to biodegrade nutrients into reusable byproducts," according to Brooks. The company is careful to note, however, that the shoe only biodegrades effectively in anaerobic environments that contain moisture and a bountiful number of microbes.

This may represent a problem for the company. In recent years products that have been marketed as "biodegradable" have come under fire for failing to break down in landfills, which often do not meet all of the requirements for efficient biodegradability.

Brooks is characterizing its BioMoGo product as an "open source" innovation that will be shared with the rest of the footwear industry.