Vikash Kumar, assistant professor of design at Shiv Nadar University, and Sarthak Mittal, currently working at Newgen Software, were awarded the Engineering Design Prize for their research on "how foul-smelling shoes affect the good experience of using a shoe-rack". The announcement was made during the 35th annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony held on September 18, 2025, at Boston University.
The Research Behind the Innovation
The groundbreaking study originated from a simple observation in a university hostel. Mittal, then a student researcher, noticed that shoes were frequently placed outside hostel rooms rather than inside on shoe racks. Initially assuming this was due to space constraints, the duo discovered the real culprit was bacterial odor emanating from footwear.
Their comprehensive study involved 149 first-year students at Shiv Nadar University, revealing that shoe odor is a widespread problem in India, particularly exacerbated by heat, humidity, and inadequate ventilation. The research found that over half of students felt uncomfortable about their own or others' smelly shoes, while 90% used shoe racks for storage.
The UV-Light Solution
Drawing from multidisciplinary knowledge combining engineering, design, and microbiology, Kumar and Mittal developed shoe racks equipped with UV-C lamps. These ultraviolet lights, similar to those used in water purification systems, effectively sanitize shoes by killing odor-causing bacteria.
Testing conducted on athletes' shoes demonstrated that just two to three minutes of UV-C exposure was sufficient to eliminate unpleasant odors. The technology addresses the root cause of the problem by targeting bacterial colonies that accumulate inside footwear over time.
India's Strong Ig Nobel Legacy
This achievement marks India's 22nd Ig Nobel Prize, highlighting the country's consistent contribution to unconventional but meaningful research. Previous Indian winners include neuroscientists from Bengaluru who studied nose-picking habits in 2001, and a Kerala scientist who calculated elephant surface area using mathematical equations in 2003.
The recognition places Kumar and Mittal alongside other notable Indian Ig Nobel laureates, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Peace Prize, 1998) and Narendra Modi (Medical Education Prize, 2020).
About the Ig Nobel Prizes
Established in 1991 by Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, the Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate achievements that "first make people laugh, then make them think". The satirical awards honor research that may seem unusual but often addresses real-world problems and advances scientific understanding.
This year's ceremony featured other quirky winners, including Italian scientists who studied pizza preferences of rainbow lizards, Japanese researchers who painted cows with zebra stripes to reduce fly bites, and a German psychologist who found that alcohol can improve foreign language pronunciation.
The awards ceremony, hosted by genuine Nobel laureates, maintains its traditional atmosphere with paper airplane tosses, mini-operas, and brief acceptance speeches. Despite travel restrictions preventing Kumar and Mittal from attending in person, they plan to celebrate with a small party at their university.
Global Recognition for Practical Innovation
Kumar emphasized that their research demonstrates how everyday observations can lead to meaningful innovations. "Ideas for design often come from observing something ordinary, and the solutions often require multidisciplinary knowledge," he explained.
The UV shoe rack concept represents a practical application of scientific principles to solve a common household problem. While the research initially sparked laughter, it highlights serious issues related to hygiene, comfort, and product design in humid climates.
The recognition serves as validation that unconventional research approaches can yield valuable insights, encouraging scientists worldwide to explore creative solutions to seemingly mundane problems. As Marc Abrahams noted, "Every Ig Nobel prize winner has done something that first makes people laugh, and then makes them think".
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