Shaquille O’Neal Reaches Out To 14-Year-Old Teen With Size 23 Feet & Offers To Gift Him With Shoes That Will Fit Him

Apr 03, 2023 by apost team

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. Not only were the mom's prayers for her son to have shoes that fit him, but her son also caught the attention of a basketball legend!
 
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."

"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.

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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.

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. 

Not long after making his dream come true, Eric received another blessing: he got a surprise call from basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal said he empathized with Eric's situation with the basketball star having size 22 feet himself. O'Neal revealed that when he was about Eric's age, his mom couldn't find shoes that fit him as well.

Sharing the advice he received from him, he said: "Shaq said he made $900 million by listening to his mom and dad, so he told me to listen to my parents."

Rebecca said O'Neal also offered to get Eric some dress shoes from a man whom she said makes up to size 26 shoes. O'Neal also said Eric can always call him if he ever needs anything.

Meanwhile, Reebok sent five pairs of shoes they originally made for O'Neal.

Certainly, Eric found a friend in O'Neal. "When him and I were texting about shoes, he said, 'There's much more coming big man. Love you,'" Eric told USA Today. "This is the ultimate."

"My soul left my body for a moment, I was so shocked," Eric said, recalling what he felt the moment O'Neal called him.

Are you happy that Shaquille O'Neal noticed Eric Kilburn Jr.? What can you say about the friendship they have built? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to other people who might find this story interesting!