Alaska boy wins 42nd National Rotten Sneaker Contest

March 28 (UPI) -- An Alaska boy's smelly sneakers earned him the title of "Smelliest Sole" at the Odor-Eaters 42nd National Rotten Sneaker Contest in New York.

Connor Slocombe was adorned with the golden sneaker trophy as his toes poked through the front of his rotten New Balance sneakers at the annual smelly sneaker competition at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square in New York City.

In addition to the golden sneaker trophy Slocombe was awarded $2,500, an additional two night stay in New York to attend a Broadway show, a spot in the "Hall of Fumes" and a supply of Odor-Eaters products to keep his other sneakers in better shape.

The competitors are chosen from local competitions around the country and their sneakers are judged on odor, condition and each child's description of why their sneakers are stinkiest.

The contest began in 1974 when a sporting goods owner in Montpelier, Vermont was seeking to advertise a new line of athletic shoes.

"At the Montpelier Dept. of Recreation, the owner discovered a photogenic pair of very smelly sneakers perfect for the store ad and the rest is history," a press release for the contest stated.

Odor-Eaters began sponsoring the competition in 1988 and Ripley's Believe It or Not! began hosting the event in 2014.