At just
14 years old
,
Eric Kilburn is over 2 meters
tall.
And beyond the difficulties that this represents, his family is asking for help to find
shoes
that fit his exceptional size, since
the European size 59
(US 23) is too small for him.
The teenager, who lives in Ortonville,
Michigan
, began experiencing painful
calluses, blisters, and ingrown toenails
with his current footwear, which ultimately resulted in the
permanent removal of the nails
on his two largest toes.
They also reveal that
he sprained his ankle
this fall while playing on the junior varsity soccer team, which could have been prevented by wearing proper athletic shoes.
Eric Kilburn is two meters tall, but has no health problems.
Photo: Social networks
"For me it would mean everything just having shoes that fit me," Eric sums up, with some resignation.
Help for the 2 meter young man with shoe size 59
Rebecca, 36, the mother of Eric
, asked for help finding shoes to accommodate her feet, given that the average shoe size for American men is a 41.
"At 14, he's still growing. Most kids this big and tall at this age have an
endocrine disorder and he doesn't
. He doesn't have health issues with exponential growth," Rebecca Kilburn told
HometownLife
.
By his account, the Goodrich High School freshman was forced to wear
Crocs-like sneakers for two years
, even in winter, because there were no other options available to him.
Eric with his family.
Photo: Social networks
mother's frustration
Plus expensive
$1,500 custom orthopedic shoes
that quickly outgrew him and velcroed, embarrassing even the kid.
"It's frustrating like his mother and not being able to find shoes, which is
such a basic need
. I can't find shoes for my teenage son. What can I do when his feet grow?" the mother wonders and the world's media spread.
According to
Home Twon Life
, a representative for the pipe brand told Rebecca that the only way the company could make shoes for her son is
if he becomes a professional athlete
.
Eric and his brother, comparing heights.
Photo: Social networks
Eric dreams of playing in the NFL, but Rebecca encounters a paradox: how could that be possible when she can't get basketball or soccer shoes in high school.
the mother speculates that the Nike sneakers her son is wearing today were shoes made for
Tacko Fall, a Senegal native
who previously played professional basketball in the NBA for the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Eric Kilburn is 14 years old, 2m tall and shoe size 59. His family asks for help buying shoes.
Photo: YouTube
Another shocking fact: at the age of 14, Eric has already
exceeded the shoe size worn by former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal
, the largest ever worn by a professional athlete (58 in Europe and 24 in the USA).
Solution for Eric's slippers?
The story
went viral
in the US and beyond, so his preaching reached the ears of
the German brand
Puma
and the American
Under Armor, who committed to
designing shoes especially for boys.
In that sense, the two companies confirm that they will be
the biggest pair for which they have made.
And to join the movement, the firm
Cat Shoes
intends to send him boots, the press reports.
Eric Kilburn tells his tough story.
capture youtube
An Italian company called
Mauri
even offered to make Eric
dress shoes for high school
and more formal occasions.
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