Little girl with the biggest stink wins smelliest shoe contest

Peeyew!

There was more to smell in the air than just spring in New York City last week.

The Odor-Eaters National Rotten Sneaker Contest took place last Tuesday at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Times Square.

And yes, believe it or not, a 12-year-old girl named Jordan Armstrong from Las Cruces, New Mexico, was declared the winner of the stinkiest shoes contest.

"I've worn them everywhere for two years,"she said, proudly holding her duct tape-wrapped sneakers that vaguely bare the memory that they were once white. "They're on my feet when I'm in school and I keep them on when I play sports. Sometimes I even worn (sic) them to bed," she said.

The prize for these stinky soles?

A cash prize of $2,500, given to the little girl in the form of one of those obnoxiously large cheques. But wait, there's more!

In addition to the cash prize, Armstrong and her mother were spoiled with a $1,500 New York City getaway, which included tickets to "The Lion King" on Broadway.

Bet you're wishing you never ditched your raunchy Reebok's. They could've been worthy!

Fourteen-year-old runner-up Alex Berner explained that his strategy to the stinkiest of the stinky, was simply "no socks!"

This is the contest's 30^th year, and it serves as a great publicity for the Odor-Eaters Company. Kids, ranging from five to 15 years old come from all over in attempt to win a spot in the Odor-Eaters "Hall of Fumes."

Seven-year contest judge George Aldrich, the "Master Sniffer," is a chemist for NASA who specializes in odors. "I still gag sometimes when I judge this contest," he says.

"The kids who live near ponds tend to do very well. Walking through a chicken coop is especially effective," said Aldrich.

Those lucky enough to judge this smelly competition included a Brown University professor Rachel Herz, who specializes in the psychology of smell; Huffington Post Weird News executive editor Buck Wolf; and Claudio Schapsis of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

"They should make me feel faint," said Herz of the sneakers that should win the contest. "That's the kind of stink that takes home the gold," she added.

Lucky for Armstrong, she had the stank they were looking for.