Written by Being extremely tall has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you can easily stand out in a crowd, see over others, reach high shelves, and even excel in sports such as basketball. However, there are also downsides, particularly when finding clothes and shoes that fit properly.
Most stores only have clothes and shoes for people of average height, which makes it hard for tall people to find things that fit them well. But would you believe me if I told you that there’s a teenager from Goodrich, Michigan, who really understands how hard this can be?
Yes, You read that right.
His name is Eric Kilburn, Jr., and in 2025, he was recognized by the Guinness World Records for having the biggest hands and feet of any teenager.
Eric, from Goodrich, Michigan, is nearly seven feet tall at 16 years old, with a shoe size of 23 and hands that measure 23.20 cm (9.13 inches) long. This makes it difficult for him to find shoes that fit him when shopping at regular malls.
However, this isn’t just about wanting stylish sneakers that fit. Eric has been hurt before because his shoes are too small.
He also hurt his ankle playing J.V. football since his cleats were too tight for his big feet. He also often gets painful ingrown toenails because his shoes don’t fit properly.
Finding the right shoe size has been tough for him, but Shaquille O’Neal stepped in to help him.
Amazing, right? But how did this whole thing happen?
Kilburn shared in a recent interview how he and his family made countless phone calls to shoe companies. They were trying to find someone to make a big shoe for him.
He said, “We asked so many shoe companies if they could make a shoe this big. Most of them told us they only do that for college or pro athletes and couldn’t help us.”
Kilburn’s mother, Rebecca, even took to the media and posted, “He is a wonderful kid and handles it well, but being tall and standing out is not always a blessing…It’s a weight on my heart as a mom to not find such a basic need.”
Thankfully, their story went viral and caught the eye of Shaquille O’Neal’s team.
Shaquille O’Neal, who’s had his own struggles with finding big enough shoes, really understood what Eric was going through.
He took action by calling the teenager himself. They talked about sports, and O’Neal encouraged him to listen to his parents. But he didn’t stop there.
O’Neal also gave Kilburn several pairs of his size 22 Reebok shoes. He promised to connect the teen with his own shoe sources, even someone who could make dress shoes for very large feet.
Then, his mother shared a picture of Eric wearing a head-to-toe outfit gifted to him by the basketball legend.
She wrote about how Reebok and Shaquille O’Neal reached out, wanting to help Eric feel more comfortable while he waited for his custom shoes. They had a few extra-large pairs originally made for Shaq and decided to send them to Eric.
When the shoes arrived, Eric was happy. Rebecca quoted him saying, “Mom, I don’t remember ever getting to choose what I wanted to wear like this before. There are so many options!”
Companies like Reebok, Puma, and Under Armour also stepped up, promising to provide sneakers and cleats that would fit. Puma even sent experts to Michigan to measure his feet for custom shoes.
Rebecca posted on Facebook, “PUMA DAY!! It’s amazing how they flew out top experts just to make sure Eric gets the shoes he needs. We’re so relieved about the fit, comfort, and how we’ll be able to afford them.”
Under Armour also offered to personally fit Eric and make him all kinds of shoes, including cleats, sneakers, and boots.
