Shoe Brand To Build Special Machine To Create Biggest Shoes Ever For 14-Year-Old Teen With Size 23 Feet

Apr 03, 2023

It's not uncommon to hear about men having large feet. Perhaps that's because men, on average, are taller than women overall. You've probably met a man with feet the size of 13 and above at one point in your life. But would you believe there's such a size of 23? Well, believe it or not, there's a 14-year-old named Eric Kilburn Jr. from Goodrich, Michigan has that exact size for his feet – and his mom Rebecca went all in for a global quest to find the shoe that will fit the size of her son's feet. As they say, moms will do everything they can for their children – and she did just that for him. But the good news is one shoe brand is finally making a game-changing move!
 
Eric, who stands 6-foot, 10-inch tall, is only 14. This means the possibility of his feet growing bigger and wider isn't far-fetched from reality.
 
While he doesn't have internal health issues, he has already gone through several painful procedures on his feet to fix his in-grown toenails. This resulted in the nails of his largest two toes being permanently removed.

But this was mainly to address the issue of the pain he has been experiencing on his feet which he described as being "hellish."  
 
It has become a huge challenge for her and her family to find affordable pairs of shoes that would fit Eric's feet, even searching for shoe stores overseas that may be able to help them, including one in Italy. An orthopedic specialist offered to make custom-made shoes, but they would cost $1,500 per pair.

At one point, he had to endure wearing Crocs for two years since no shoes would fit him. 

When a family friend of theirs found a pair of size 22 sneakers, Rebecca asked to buy six other pairs at a bargain price of $25. Sadly, all of them no longer fit him.

So, she decided to reach out to brands like Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Under Armour, and Red Wing Shoes to see if they could provide pairs of shoes for her son, to no avail.

They either answered her in disbelief or laughed at her. "We don't make that size," they reportedly answered in chorus.  

In March 2023, a family friend launched a GoFundMe to raise money to buy everyday shoes, as it has been years since he last wore one. They have raised more than $23,000 as of March 29, 2023.

The Kilburns also received several calls from different shoe brands, including Under Armour, which was among the first shoe brands to reach out to them and say that they would be flying to his hometown in Michigan to scan his feet for cleats and shoes but also "expressed interest in growing along with Eric."

Brands such as Puma and CAT also offered to make shoes and boots, respectively, for Eric. City Slicker Shoes said they would make Mauri shoes for Eric, while Pingree Detroit said they have 3D printing plans in mind.

"The success of this fundraiser is well beyond what was ever expected," GoFundMe Kara Pattison said.

Rebecca said she couldn't be more thankful for the support they have been getting.

"We've never experienced anything like this before," Rebecca told MLive. "It is just incredible."

Eric is vying for the Guinness World Book of Record's title of the teenager with the largest feet and hands – and he believes that he has a great chance of snagging it.

"I think my chances are pretty solid," Eric said.

More than getting the record-breaking title, Rebecca said she wants to raise awareness among shoemakers that there are people like Eric who shouldn't worry about buying shoes that would fit them at affordable prices.

"It's a dream for him to have shoes, boots, and cleats," Rebecca said.

On March 30, 2023, Eric's wish finally came true as one of the first brands that reached out to him, Under Armour, lived up to its promise and flew to Michigan. 

The senior director for product development at Under Armour himself, Robb Cropp, flew to Michigan to personally tell him that they would be making custom-made shoes for Eric. 

As if Eric wasn't special enough to get a brand executive to fly to personally meet him, he was also told that they would be making a special machine and tools to make him pairs of shoes that would fit him. And yes, it will take about one and a half months to two months to make it happen. While he has to wait a little longer, it seems it will definitely be worth it. 

"We're going to build the shoes from the ground up and we've got to build the machinery or the tooling we call it to make the shoes. It's going to take us probably about six to eight weeks to get all that done," Cropp said.

For Eric, all he wanted was to be free of pain. And yes, play football, too, without having to worry about anything. And by the looks of it, it's happening anytime soon. 

"I am going to be able to play better on the field, I am going to have shoes I am comfortable in, no blisters, no ingrown toenails, none of that stuff," Eric said.

What can you say about Eric Kilburn Jr.'s situation? Do you also know someone who is in the same situation as him? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to other people who might find this story interesting!