Michigan boy, 14, who’s 6’10 pleads for help to find shoes that will fit his SIZE 23 feet
The family of enormous 14-year-old boy from Michigan who stands at 6ft 10in with size 23 feet, have been pleading for help in finding shoes that will actually fit him.
Eric Kilburn Jr. from Ortonville, near Flint, had been wearing a size 22 shoe but they were still too small for him and caused him discomfort due to the presence of painful calluses, blisters, and ingrown toenails because he had outgrown his footwear.
His mother, Rebecca, 36, made a plea for assistance in finding shoes that would be able to house his actually unusually large feet, given that the average American male shoe size is 10.5.
‘At 14, he’s still growing. Most kids this big and tall at this age have an endocrine disorder and he doesn’t. He has no health issues with exponential growth,’ she told HometownLife.
Even in first grade, Eric was already able to wear a woman’s size 12. In seventh grade, family and friends were told to be on the lookout for size 17 shoes and up, in order to plan for the future.
Eric Kilburn Jr., a 14-year-old boy from Michigan who stands at 6ft 10in with size 23 feet has been seeking help to find shoes that fit him
Eric Kilburn Jr. has been experiencing discomfort due to the presence of painful calluses, blisters, and ingrown toenails because of his ill-fitting
Eric’s mother, has made a plea for assistance in finding footwear that can accommodate his unusually large feet, given that the average American male shoe size is 10.5. Pictured, size 22
At one stage, Eric was forced to wear Crocs for two years, even during the middle of winter because there were no other options available to him apart from pricey $1,500 custom orthotics that he would quickly grow out of.
Although Rebecca offered to buy her son a pair, Eric felt uncomfortable wearing them because they only came with Velcro fasteners.
‘I’ve spent hours crying feeling like I’ve failed my child because I’m not able to find what he needs,’ Rebecca said to Today. ‘It’s frustrating as his mom and not being able to find shoes, which is such a basic need. I can’t find shoes for my teenager. What can I do when his feet grow?’
‘The orthotics catalog was mainly Velcro shoes. Eric was like, ‘I’d rather be barefoot.’ she said. ‘It’s hard enough to stand out like he does. You don’t want to be the giant kid walking down the hallway in old man Velcro shoes.’
The Kilburn family are pictured with dad, Eric Sr., Eric Jr., brother Graesyn and mom Rebecca.
Eric’s mom, Rebecca, 36, made a plea for assistance in finding footwear that would be able to house his actually unusually large feet.
For two years Eric, pictured alongside brother Graesyn, had to wear crocs to house his feet.
Eric says he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention stares from people astonished by his size and is contemplating having business cards printed that will give people the answers to the regular questions people want to know, including whether he plays basketball – he does no.
After a local Michigan reporter published a piece about Eric’s struggle to find shoes that fit, his story went viral, and the family received an outpouring of support.
For years, the family was simply told by shoe manufacturers: ‘Sorry there’s nothing we can do.’
One Nike rep told her: ‘The only way you have a size 22 is if it was made for a pro athlete and they didn’t use them and it ended up back in circulation.’
Size 22 appears to be the max but Eric needs a size 23 or 24. The average shoe size in the NBA is 14.
Eric will receive basic sneakers, basketball shoes and football cleats.
Eric, pictured in his crocs from a couple of years ago alongside his younger brother
But held is afoot at least with Under Armor and Puma now offering to create custom shoes and cleats for Eric, while Cat footwear intends to send him boots.
Under Armor says Eric’s feet will be the biggest pair of shoes they’ve ever made for.
‘We are in rarefied space, there are not that many people in the world in these sizes,’ the company’s Senior Director of Footwear Development Robb Cropp said. ‘We had to help. We know the importance of sports to kids and their development.
Puma are also looking to do something similar.
‘There is no mold size for this, because it’s such a rarity from a mass production perspective,’ head of basketball operations at Puma, Max Staiger said. ‘What we will make looks and feels like a normal shoe, with just a little tweak. … We’ve done this before with no issue at all. $1,500 for any pair of shoes is almost insanity, I don’t care what size it is.’
Eric will receive basic sneakers, basketball shoes and football cleats while an Italian company, Mauri, is offering to make dress shoes for school and more formal occasions.
Eric says he is contemplating having business cards printed that will give people the answers to the regular questions people want to know, including whether he plays basketball.
‘It’s restored my faith in humanity,’ Rebecca replied. ‘I hit so many dead ends with people laughing when I called to ask about shoes. It was a very lonely feeling. And now we’re overflowing with support, generosity and kindness.
‘It’s been overwhelming,’ she told USA Today. ‘I’ve been this puddle of emotions, all of them good… It’s the coolest thing to be able to say we did it! He has shoes! I am not usually a crier, but I have been in a constant state of happy tears…We are so grateful.’
A GoFundMe has raised nearly $23,000 for the family, and Rebcca also started a Facebook group called ‘Big Shoe Network’ to help people find large shoes for them to buy.
Eric is still wearing his size 22 Nike sneakers (the same size as worn by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal), but the family is grateful for all the support they have received.
‘It’s a dream for him to have shoes, boots and cleats,’ Rebecca said. ‘That would be wonderful…. It’s a weight on my heart as a mother to not find such a basic need.’