There wasn't much left of the sneakers Noah Nielsen entered into the contest Tuesday, but it was the stench that earned him the top prize. Nielsen, 10, beat six other contestants from around the country in the 30th annual national rotten sneaker contest. The secret of his success? "No socks, ever." "The stank was from rubbing my toes back and forth and making them sweaty," said Nielsen, with his trophy in hand and two golden sneakers hanging from his neck. Nielsen said he also played soccer and baseball in the three-year-old Adidas patched together with duck tape. The wide gaps in the shoes revealed grimy toes and emitted a pungent odor that drove one judge to gag, another to take a step back and a dog to roll on top of the sneakers....The contest began in 1975 as a way to help a local sporting goods store sell shoes. In 1988, Odor-Eaters - maker of anti-foot-odor insoles, sprays and powder - assumed sponsorship of the event. The four judges, including an odor expert from NASA and a black Labrador retriever, ranked the sneakers for their soles, heals, toes, laces and odor.
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