Odour-free step for mankind

London - Smelly shoes could be headed for the dustbin of history thanks to a British inventor who couldn't stand the stench of his grandsons' old trainers. Prompted by his wife, Mr Peter Chown (55), an air force engineer turned professional inventor, came up with the idea of neutralising the smell with a deodorant system built into the heel cavity. Tiny holes let the deodorant flow into the shoe from a refillable reservoir in the heel. He said shoes fitted with the device, which he has patented, remained totally odour-free in tests.