Shoes Made of Rice - The Secret to Olympic Gold?

The secret to winning Olympic gold may lie in an innovative new shoe made with grains of rice.

The Japanese sneakers, custom made by Hitoshi Mimura, will be put to the test by United State distance runners and Beijing Olympic entrants Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor. Instead of being infused with some ultra high tech materials or cutting edge shock absorbers, these shoes go back to basics—their secret lies in the rice integrated in the soles.

“The husks, which are ground and imbedded in the rubber soles of racing flats, are designed to absorb water and to provide up to 10 percent better traction along the 26.2-mile marathon course at the Beijing Olympics in August,” the NY Times explains.

59-year-old Mimura is a former marathon runner himself, as well as being a master craftsman for athletic brand Asics, so he really could be on to something with these rice-husk shoes.

Just one more thing to look forward to seeing at the August games!