USAT: A mom is searching worldwide for shoes her 14-year-old son needs. He has size 23 feet.

[China]

A mom is searching worldwide for shoes her 14-year-old son needs. He has size 23 feet.

 

Like most mothers, Rebecca Kilburn wants to provide everything her children need, including the basic necessities like shoes.

 

That's proving to be a struggle with her 14-year-old son Eric Jr. The teenager has size 23 feet – for now – and his mom is desperately looking for someone who will make shoes in that size at an affordable price.

 

“At 14, he’s still growing,” she said. “Most kids this big and tall at this age have an endocrine disorder and he does not. He has no health issues with exponential growth.”

 

Eric Kilburn does have health issues that result from not being able to find the correct size shoes, however. The 6-foot, 10-inch freshman at Goodrich High School in Michigan has endured six painful procedures on his feet to fix in-grown toenails, finally resulting in the permanent removal of the nails on his largest two toes.

 

He also sprained his ankle this fall while playing on the junior varsity football team, which may have been avoidable if he’d had cleats instead of just sneakers.

 

 

Eric has not had cleats, nor snow boots for Michigan winters, for five years.

 

"It would mean everything just to have shoes that fit me," Eric said.

 

He is currently in size 22 sneakers that don't fit, found by a friend at a Nike outlet. At the time, Rebecca arranged to also purchase six other pairs in the same size from the outlet at the bargain price of $25 per pair. All are now too small.

 

Size 22, also the size shoe famed basketball player Shaquille O’Neal wears, is the largest size she has found any professional athlete to wear, meaning her son has outpaced even Shaq.

 

Eric’s size 22s have been professionally stretched, but they are now hurting him and resulting in blisters. He needs at least a size 23, and possibly even a size 24.

 

A Nike representative told Rebecca the only way the company would likely make her son shoes is if he became a professional athlete. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[Captain Wiggles]

There are various custom shoe companies out there. This shouldn't be very difficult. Expensive tho I'm sure. 

 

For example:

https://www.footlab.ca/custom-footwear/#:~:text=Whatever the reason you need,the most accurate fit possible.

 

Also **** Nike. They could easily make this kid all the shoes he needs. I bet if he enrolled at Oregon they'd hook him up. 

[China]

6 minutes ago, Captain Wiggles said:

There are various custom shoe companies out there. This shouldn't be very difficult. Expensive tho I'm sure. 

 

For example:

https://www.footlab.ca/custom-footwear/#:~:text=Whatever the reason you need,the most accurate fit possible.

 

Also **** Nike. They could easily make this kid all the shoes he needs. I bet if he enrolled at Oregon they'd hook him up. 

 

If you read the whole article, she's doing just that.  And the shoes cost $1500 a pair.

 

Not going to help him get cleats for football or the shoes he may need for other activities though.

[Fergasun]

If they were smart, that company should sponsor him...

 

Letting him play football though?  A bit scary...

[Destino]

That young man is certainly on the road to 7+ feet tall.  That rare size of giant isn’t generally found on a football field.  Best start teaching the young man basketball fundamentals now.  
 

His shoes are going to be a problem forever.  As an adult he can find custom dress shoes easily enough, that service has existed longer than our modern mass produced version.  But sneaker and cleats?  That’s always going to be tough.  Especially because brand matter more in the sneaker game.  Kids want to wear what’s popular and that won’t be possible for him.  

[Simmsy]

1. Mom is 6ft 2in and dad is 6ft 5in, people that tall shouldn't be allowed to have sex with each other.

 

2. That kid looks like the main boss in a video game in that picture.

 

3. I only wear a size 13 and for a long time (not too bad anymore), I couldn't find shoes in my size. Then it got better, but I only had the option of wearing some of the ugliest clown shoes around. Pretty easy to find decent shoes in size 13 nowadays.

[The Evil Genius]

I think I've seen up size 23 at Nordstrom Rack before. Insane though...

[Califan007 The Constipated]

https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-70-300lb-shaquille-oneal-used-hot-water-on-michael-jordans-shoes-to-fit-his-size-23-feet/

7’0, 300lb Shaquille O’Neal used hot water on Michael Jordan’s shoes to fit his size 23 feet

Shaq was abnormally huge for his age even as a kid. Considering his circumstances growing up too, one can imagine access to equipment and clothing for his size was limited.

 

The big man went on to take strong initiatives to provide low-cost sneakers for people of all sizes. Shaq has been a man of the people and such initiatives have increased his popularity over the years.