A 14-year-old boy is going to make history by taking delivery of the biggest shoes ever made by sportswear brand Under Armour.
Eric Kilburn Jr., of Ortonville, Michigan, wore size 22 shoes, but they were too small and caused painful calluses, blisters, and ingrown toenails.
His mother Rebecca, 36, recently made a plea in an effort to help find shoes to accommodate his feet, as the average American male shoe size is 10.5.
Under Armor was quick to respond and now plans to gift the six-foot-tall teen a pair of custom sneakers.
Eric Kilburn Jr., of Ortonville, Michigan, is going to make history by receiving the biggest shoes ever made by sportswear brand Under Armor
The six-foot-tall teen wore size 22 shoes, but they were too small and caused painful calluses, blisters and ingrown toenails
During the session, a 3D rendering of the youngster’s feet was created and a mold was created 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 rendering of the youngster’s feet was created and a mold was created to ensure the designers created the perfect fit.
In a MLife footage of the trial, Robb measured Eric’s foot and revealed, ‘This is my biggest foot ever, that’s for sure. I’ve been doing this for about 30 years and I’ve never had anyone this size.’
Speaking to camera, the youngster said the Under Armor offer “means everything” to him.
He continued, “Just having shoes that don’t blister or hurt my feet would mean the world.
“It felt great to know that this is the first step in the process of buying new shoes.”
There is now a six to eight week wait for what will be Under Armour’s greatest creation yet.
The company has also offered to make Eric a pair of cleats for the return of the football season.
Mother-of-two Rebecca has since praised the company for being so willing to help her son and said it has changed his life
Eric will now have to wait six to eight weeks for what will be Under Armour’s greatest creation yet
Rebecca had previously spoken out about the family’s struggle to make sure Eric was properly dressed
In a statement to FEMAIL, Robb said: ‘After seeing Eric’s extraordinary story we knew we had to help.
“At Under Armor, innovation has been in our DNA since day one and we are excited to use our innovative capabilities to help Eric Jr. support him on his athletic journey and help him do his best both on and off the field.”
Rebecca has since praised the company for being so willing to help her son and said it has changed his life.
Puma is now also looking for something similar for the teenager.
“There’s no shape size for it because it’s such a rarity from a mass production point of view,” said Max Staiger, head of basketball operations at Puma.
“What we’re going to make looks and feels like a normal shoe, with just a little adjustment… We’ve done this before without any problem. $1,500 for a pair of shoes is almost madness, I don’t care what size it is.’
Eric also gets basic sneakers, basketball boots and football boots, while an Italian company, Mauri, offers to make dress shoes for school and more formal occasions.
Commenting earlier on the brands’ generosity, Rebecca said, “It has restored my faith in humanity.
For two years, Eric (pictured next to brother Graesyn) had to wear crocodiles to accommodate his huge feet
“I’ve hit so many dead ends with people laughing when I called to ask about shoes. It was a very lonely feeling. And now we are overflowing with support, generosity and kindness.”
“It was overwhelming,” she said USA today. “I’ve been this pool of emotions, all 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 dressed.
“At 14, he’s still growing. Most kids that are this big and tall at this age have an endocrine disorder and he doesn’t.
“He has no health problems with exponential growth,” she said HometownLife.
At one point, Eric had to wear Crocs for two years, even in the middle of winter, because there were no options available to him other than the expensive $1,500 custom orthotics that he would soon grow out of.
Although Rebecca offered to buy a pair for her son, Eric was uncomfortable wearing them because they only came with Velcro.
“I’ve cried for hours feeling like I’ve abandoned my child because I can’t find what he needs,” Rebecca told Today.
“It’s frustrating when his mom and can’t find shoes, which is such a basic necessity. I can’t find shoes for my teen. What can I do if his feet grow?’
‘The orthotics catalog mainly consisted of Velcro shoes. Eric was like, “I’d rather go barefoot.” she said.
“It’s hard enough to stand out like him. You don’t want to be that giant kid walking down the hall in old Velcro shoes.”
Eric said earlier that he already gets a lot of questions, not to mention the stares from people who are amazed at his height and that he is considering getting business cards printed that will give people the answers to the regular questions people want to know , including whether he plays basketball – he doesn’t.
a GoFundMe has raised nearly $23,000 for the family so far, and Rebecca also started a Facebook group called “Big Shoe Network” to help people find big shoes to buy.