International Rotten Sneaker Contest

Festival Location: Montpelier, VT, USA

Festival State: Vermont Festivals

Festival Type: Bizarre Festivals

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

Did you know that each foot contains 250,000 sweat glands that can produce up to a pint of sweat per day? That was the impetus behind Odor-Eaters products, sponsors since 1988 of the International Rotten Sneaker Contest held every March in Montpelier.

The rotten sneak craze is catching on. Kids ranging in age from five to fifteen compete in regional contests all over the world from Alaska to Italy. Then the regional champs bring their most stinky, worn-out, frayed and torn tennies to Vermont to compete for a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and a year's supply of Odor-Eaters.

But probably the biggest award for winners is that their rotten sneakers will be enshrined in the Hall of Fumes, further securing their place in rotten sneaker history.