Teenager with Size 23 Feet Struggles to Find Shoes That Fit

Eric Kil­burn, Jr. is a 14-year-old boy from Ortonville, Michi­gan, who stands at an impres­sive height of 185cm and wears size 23 shoes. How­ev­er, find­ing shoes that fit his large feet has been a strug­gle for him and his family. 

Eric has been wear­ing size 22 shoes that are too small for him, caus­ing him painful cal­lus­es, blis­ters, and ingrown toenails.

Despite the aver­age Amer­i­can boy’s shoe size being 10.5, Eric’s fam­i­ly and friends have long known that he need­ed big shoes. His moth­er, Rebec­ca, has been search­ing for shoes that can accom­mo­date his large feet. 

She has strug­gled to find shoes that are both com­fort­able and styl­ish. How­ev­er, their quest has final­ly paid off with Puma and Under Armour promis­ing to design a size 23 shoe specif­i­cal­ly for him.

Rebec­ca has expressed her frus­tra­tion at not being able to find the basic needs of her son. She has felt like she has failed as a moth­er because she could­n’t find what her son needed. 

Eric’s sto­ry and strug­gles have received a lot of atten­tion from the media, and his fam­i­ly has received a lot of sup­port from var­i­ous shoe companies.

Under Armour and Puma offered to make cus­tom shoes and cleats for Eric, while Cat­footwear offers boots, and Italy’s Mau­ri offers dress shoes for school and for­mal occa­sions. Under Armour says Eric’s foot will be the biggest shoe they’ve ever made.

Eric’s sto­ry serves as a reminder that every­one’s feet are dif­fer­ent, and it can be a strug­gle to find shoes that fit well. How­ev­er, with the help of sup­port­ive com­pa­nies, peo­ple like Eric can final­ly find shoes that are both com­fort­able and stylish.