A 23-foot-two teen is set to make history by receiving the largest shoes ever from Under Armour
A 14-year-old boy is set to make history by getting his hands on the biggest shoe ever from sportswear brand Under Armour.
Eric Kilburn Jr., of Ortonville, Michigan, wore a size 22 shoe but it was too small and caused painful calluses, blisters, and an ingrown toenail.
His mother, Rebecca, 36, recently issued an appeal in an effort to help find shoes to house his feet, given that the average American men’s shoe size is a 10.5.
Under Armor responded quickly and is now ready to gift the 6-foot-10 teen with a pair of custom-made sneakers.
Eric Kilburn Jr., of Ortonville, Michigan, is set to make history by receiving the largest shoes ever from sportswear brand Under Armour.
The 6-foot-10 teen was wearing a size 22 shoe, but it was too small and had painful calluses, blisters, and ingrown toenails.
During the session, a 3D rendering of the young man’s feet was created and a mold was made to ensure the stylists created the perfect fit
Eric and his family met with Under Armour’s senior director of shoe development, Rob Krupp, on March 26.
During the session, a 3D rendering of the young man’s feet was created and a mold made to ensure the stylists had created the perfect fit.
in MLive In the process clip, Rob measured Eric’s foot and revealed, “These are my biggest feet ever, that’s for sure.” I’ve been doing this for about 30 years and have never had anyone this big.
Speaking on camera, the youngster said that the Under Armor show “means everything” to him.
He continued, “Just wearing shoes that do not cause blisters or pain in my feet means the world.
“I was relieved just to know that this was the first step in the line of getting new shoes.”
There will now be a six to eight week wait for what will be Under Armor’s biggest innovation ever.
The company also offered to make Eric a pair of cleats just in time for back-to-back football season.
Eric said previously that he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention stares, from people who are amazed at his size
Since then, Rebecca, a mother of two, has praised the company for being willing to help her son and said it changed his life.
Eric will now have to wait six to eight weeks for what will be Under Armor’s biggest innovation ever
Rebecca previously spoke about the family’s struggles with making sure Eric was dressed properly
In a statement to FEMAIL, Rob said: “After seeing Eric’s extraordinary story, we knew we had to help.
“At Under Armour, innovation has been in our DNA since day one and we are excited to use our innovative capabilities to support Eric Jr. on his athletic journey and help him perform at his best on and off the field.”
Rebecca has since praised the company for being willing to help her son and said it changed his life.
Puma is now also looking to do something similar for the teen.
“There is no die size for this, as it is very rare from a mass production perspective,” said Max Steiger, Puma’s president of basketball operations.
“What we’re going to make look like a normal shoe, with a little bit of modification…we’ve done this before with no problem at all. $1,500 per pair of shoes is almost insane, and I don’t care how big it is.”
Eric will also receive basic sneakers, basketball shoes and soccer cleats while an Italian company, Morey, will offer to make formal shoes for school and more formal occasions.
Addressing the trademark generosity previously, Rebecca said, “It restored my faith in humanity.
For two years, Eric (pictured alongside brother Gracen) was forced to wear crocs to house his enormous feet.
I came to a standstill with people laughing when I called to ask about shoes. It was very lonely. We are now overflowing with support, generosity, and kindness.
“It was overwhelming,” she said. USA Today. “I was in this pool of feelings, they’re all so good… It’s the coolest thing we can say we’ve done!”
The mother-of-two has previously spoken out about the family’s struggles with making sure Eric is dressed properly.
At fourteen, he’s still growing. Most children of this size and height at this age have an endocrine disorder which they are not.
“He has no health problems with accelerated growth,” she said. Muscat
At one point, Eric had to wear Crocs for two years, even during the middle of winter because there were no other options available to him except for the expensive $1,500 custom orthotics he would quickly grow out of.
Although Rebecca offered to buy a pair for her son, Eric felt uncomfortable wearing them because they only came with Velcro fasteners.
“I’ve spent hours crying feeling like I’ve let my baby down because he can’t find what he needs,” said Rebecca. today.
“It’s as frustrating as his mom’s not being able to find shoes, which is a basic need. I can’t find shoes for my teenager. What do I do when his feet grow out? ›.
The orthopedic catalog was mainly Velcro shoes. Eric was like, “I’d rather be barefoot.” She said.
It’s hard enough to stand out like him. You don’t want to be the giant kid walking down the hallway in those old velcro shoes.
Eric has said previously that he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention stares from people who are startled by his size and is considering printing business cards that will give people answers to the normal questions people want to know, including whether or not he plays basketball. no.
a GoFundMe So far raised nearly $23,000 for the family, Rebecca has also created a Facebook group called “Big Shoe Network” to help people find big shoes for them to buy.