Two Indian researchers have won global recognition for turning an everyday nuisance into a subject of science. Their study on how foul-smelling shoes affect the use of shoe racks has earned them an Ig Nobel Prize — a tongue-in-cheek award that honours quirky but thought-provoking research.
The annual Ig Nobel Prizes, organised by the journal Annals of Improbable Research and co-sponsored by Harvard-Radcliffe groups, celebrate work that “first makes people laugh, then think.” This year’s winners were announced last week, with the list including scientists who painted cows to ward off flies, studied rainbow lizards’ taste for four-cheese pizza, and even tracked thumbnail growth over decades.
Among them were Vikash Kumar, 42, assistant professor of design at Shiv Nadar University near Delhi, and his former student, 29-year-old software professional Sarthak Mittal. The pair’s journey began not in a laboratory, but in university hostels where Mittal noticed corridors lined with shoes left outside rooms. What started as an idea to design a better shoe rack soon revealed a deeper issue: odour.
“It wasn’t about lack of space. The real problem was sweaty, smelly shoes,” Mittal explained. Their survey of 149 students confirmed it — more than half admitted embarrassment over shoe odours, while few had heard of deodorising products. Common hacks like sprinkling baking soda or stuffing tea bags were proving ineffective.
Turning to science, Kumar and Mittal identified Kytococcus sedentarius, a bacterium thriving in sweaty footwear, as the main culprit. Experiments using athletes’ shoes showed that short bursts of UVC light killed the microbes and removed the odour. Testing revealed that just two to three minutes of exposure was enough to eliminate the stench, while longer treatment risked burning the rubber soles.
Their solution: a prototype shoe rack equipped with UVC lighting that not only stores shoes but sterilises them. “In India, almost every household has a shoe rack. A rack that keeps shoes odour-free would give a far better user experience,” they wrote in their 2022 paper.
The research attracted little attention until the Ig Nobel organisers discovered it and awarded them this year’s prize. “We had no idea about the award. The team just found our work, and that itself makes you laugh and think,” said Kumar. “The award isn’t about certifying research but celebrating the fun side of science.”
For the duo, the recognition is more than a humorous honour. “Beyond recognition, it puts a burden on us to do more research on questions people don’t usually ask,” Kumar added.
From stinky sneakers to scientific acclaim, the project highlights how even everyday irritations can lead to inventive solutions — and a place in the world’s most unconventional hall of fame.
