AN ANNUAL "RITE OF SPRING" IN MONTPELIER, VT

-- Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest™ Spotlights Stinky Feet --

Montpelier, VT — The Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest™ was begun 31 years ago as a clever promotion created by a Montpelier, Vermont sporting goods owner, who wanted to advertise a new line of athletic shoes. At the Montpelier Department of Recreation, he discovered a photogenic pair of superbly rotten sneakers that looked terrific in his "before/after" ad. The Recreation director seized the moment and created a new contest — the search for the best of the worst rotten sneakers — as an Annual Rite of Spring.

In 1988, Combe Incorporated, the maker of Odor-Eaters® products, caught a "whiff" of this grand event and became the official sponsor of the contest. They were quick to realize that the foul-smelling sneakers featured in the contest were a symbol of what the product beats every day. Millions of people rely on Odor-Eaters® insoles, sprays, powders and socks to provide pro-active protection for active feet. And absorbing foot wetness can be helpful in avoiding the possible occurrence of blisters, athlete's foot and toenail fungus.

This year's Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest™ is being held on Tuesday, March 21st. In addition to a $500 U.S. Savings Bond, the winner will receive a year's supply of much-needed Odor-Eaters® products and have his/her sneakers enshrined in the Odor-Eaters Hall of Fumes.

Combe Incorporated is a manufacturer of health and beauty care products, including Just For Men® , Grecian Formula 16® and Grecian 5® haircolor products, Lanacane® skin care products, Odor-Eaters® foot care products, Vagisil® feminine care products, Sea-Bond® denture products, Cepacol® mouthwash and sore throat products, Brylcreem®, Aqua Velva® and Lectric Shave® men's personal grooming products and Williams® Mug Soap. Combe, a privately held multinational company founded in 1949, has its international headquarters in White Plains, NY.