A 14-year-old boy is set to make history by receiving the biggest shoes ever made by sportswear brand Under Armour.
Eric Kilburn Jr., from Ortonville, Michigan, had been wearing size 22 shoes but they were too small and caused painful calluses, blisters and ingrown toenails.
His mother Rebecca, 36, recently issued a plea in a bid to help find shoes to house his feet, given that the average American male shoe size is 10.5.
Under Armour quickly responded and is now set to gift the 6ft 10in teen with a pair of custom-made sneakers.
Eric Kilburn Jr., from Ortonville, Michigan, is set to make history by receiving the biggest shoes ever made by sportswear brand Under Armour
The 6ft 10in teen had been wearing size 22 shoes but they were too small and caused painful calluses, blisters and ingrown toenails
During the session, a 3D render of the youngster’s feet was created and a mold was made to ensure the designers created the perfect fit
Eric and his family met with Under Armour’s senior director of Footwear Development, Robb Cropp, on March 26.
During the session, a 3D render of the youngster’s feet was created and a mold was made to ensure the designers created the perfect fit.
In an MLive clip of the process, Robb measured Eric’s foot and revealed: ‘This is my biggest foot ever, that is for sure. I’ve been doing this about 30 years and I’ve never had anyone this size.’
Speaking to camera, the youngster said that Under Armour’s offer ‘means everything’ to him.
He continued: ‘Just having shoes that don’t cause blisters or pain on my feet would mean the world.
‘It felt great just knowing that this is 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 Armour’s biggest ever creation.
The company has also offered to make Eric a pair of cleats just in time for the return of the football season.
Eric previously said he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention stares from people astounded by his size
Mother-of-two Rebecca has since praised the company for being so willing to help her son and said that it has changed his life
Eric will now have to wait for between six- to eight-weeks for what will be Under Armour’s biggest ever creation
Rebecca had previously spoken out about the family’s struggle to make sure Eric was properly clothed
In a statement to FEMAIL, Robb said: ‘After seeing Eric’s extraordinary story, we knew that 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 his best both on and off the field.’
Rebecca has since praised the company for being so willing to help her son and said that it has changed his life.
Puma are also now looking to do something similar for the teen.
‘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 also 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.
Addressing the brands’ generosity previously, Rebecca said: ‘It’s restored my faith in humanity.
For two years Eric (pictured alongside brother Graesyn) was forced to wear crocs to house his enormous feet
‘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 have been this puddle of emotions, all of them good… It’s the coolest thing to be able to say we did it!’
The mother-of-two had previously spoken out about the family’s struggle to make sure Eric was properly clothed.
‘At 14, he’s still growing. 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,’ she told HometownLife.
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 have 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.’
Eric previously said he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention stares from people astounded 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 not.
A GoFundMe has so far raised almost $23,000 for the family, and Rebecca also started a Facebook group called ‘Big Shoe Network’ to help people find large shoes for them to buy.
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