NATIONAL NEWS
March 19, 2004
This Victory Stinks!
Ten-year-old Daegan Goodman wins Vermont's Rotten Sneaker Contest
 Daegan Goodman winner of the Odor Eaters International Rotten Sneaker Contest. |
Daegan Goodman's sneakers really stink! The 10-year-old from Montpelier, Vermont, and his smelly sneaks beat out eight other finalists to win the Odor Eaters International Rotten Sneaker Contest. What did he win? A $500 savings bond, $100 to buy a new pair of sneakers, Odor-Easters products, and a golden sneaker, of course!
 |  Daegan Goodman holds his winning stinky sneaker. |
Contest-Ready Sneakers
To enter the competition, which is sponsored by Odor-Eaters, Goodman had to win a local contest. "I just wear 'em, sweat in 'em, play sports...I just try," Goodman said, when asked how he got his sneakers so smelly. He was the last to be judged in the 90-minute finals, and the stench from his shoes made the 48-year-old "master sniffer" (also known as George Aldrich) a little ill.
The sponsors of the contest even had a member of the military get competitors' sneakers even smellier before judging. Sergeant Odor-Eaters led participants through a series of push-ups, jumping jacks and sit-ups to make their shoes smell their very worst. "I was proud," said Goodwin. "I didn't realize how smelly the shoes would be." Smell alone, though, is not the only quality by which sneakers are judged. Appearance, "overall condition," heels and soles also count.
A Smelly Past
Called the "Rotten Sneaker Capital of the World," Montpelier has been the contest's home since it began in 1975. It was meant to help a local sporting goods store sell shoes. In 1988, Odor-Eaters, which makes products to help get rid of the stink in shoes, decided to sponsor the event.
Goodman is getting a lot of attention. He is scheduled for cable television appearances! Although he is enjoying his new celebrity status, the "master sniffer" is still suffering from the smell. "The stench sometimes stays with me for days," said Aldrich. "It's like a flashback."
