Rotten Shoes

I love to read about the yearly Rotten Sneakers Contest from Odor-Eaters. Although, honestly, I wonder why this seems to be limited to kids. Here is this year’s story from Odor-Eators.com.

Eight kids, ages seven to fifteen, from across the country, descended on the small town of Montpelier today wearing sneakers so decrepit and odorous, even the town dump wouldn't take them. Why? To participate in the annual National Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest. Each has won a regional contest and, therefore, earned a place in the national finals. In the end, Fifteen-year old Benjamin Russell took home the grand prize with a pair of two year-old sneakers that nearly caused the judges to pass out. You can watch the video here.
     Celebrating its 33rd year, the National Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest is the ultimate test of just how offensive sneakers can get when they're not taken care of properly. Sneakers are judged on the conditions of the sole, tongue, heel, toe, laces or velcro, eyelets/grommets, overall condition and most important ODOR, by a panel that includes NASA "Master Sniffer" George Aldrich, Chemical Specialist for NASA space missions, and Rachel Herz, Ph.D, author of The Scent of Desire, and is a professor at Brown University.
     This year, Ben Russell beat out seven other contestants, from - Flushing, MI, Tooele, UT, Newnan, GA, Livermore, CA, Branchville, NJ, Barre, VT, and Las Cruces, NM, to take home the grand prize of a $2,500.00.
     The Champion confessed that his sneakers got dirty and smelly because he plays very hard. He goes fishing, hunting and camping in his sneakers for the past two summers.
     Ben also received the Golden Sneaker Award trophy, plus an all expense paid trip to New York City to see the Broadway show The Lion King, and a supply of Odor-Eaters® products to kick out the odor from his sneakers. Although the maker of Odor-Eaters products sponsors the contest, it's clear that the contestants keep the product far from their willfully worn and torn warriors submitted for judging.
     Ben's sneakers will also be enshrined in the Odor-Eaters "Hall of Fumes" in Montpelier, VT.
     For more information about the Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest or Odor-Eaters products, visit www.odor-eaters.com.