A week ago, Yerba Madre, the organic drink brand formerly known as Guayaki, presented with a sly flourish a pair of Dirt shoes that resembled little more than cracked, molded pieces of muck ...

While the Dirt shoes are an evident gimmick, a growing number of footwear brands are using descriptors such as "biodegradable" and "compostable" as serious selling points for their wares. The idea is ...