The mother of a Michigan 16-year-old has to spend thousands of dollars on specialty shoes for her gargantuan son, who holds the world record for having the largest hands and feet of a living teenager.
Eric Kilburn Jr., whose feet measure 13.5 inches, currently wears US size 23 shoes while his hands measure 9.13 inches, according to Guinness World Records.
The teen’s size easily surpasses that of the average for an adult male, which is a size 9 shoe and a hand length of 7.4 inches.
‘I’ve been taller and bigger than any kid since I was in preschool,’ said Eric, who stood a towering 6-foot-10 when he was just 14 years old.
Eric Kilburn Jr ., whose feet measure 13.5 inches, currently wears US size 23 shoes while his hands measure 9.13 inches, according to Guinness World Records
The teen’s size easily surpasses that of the average for an adult male, which is a size 9 shoe and a hand length of 7.4 inches
‘I’ve been taller and bigger than any kid since I was in preschool,’ said Eric, who stood a towering 6-foot-10 when he was just 14 years old
The teen found shoe shopping became a challenge around fifth grade. His shoes had to be custom made and cost more than $1,500 a pair.
The staggering price of Eric’s shoes led his mother, Rebecca Kilburn, to consider if her son’s unique measurements might qualify him for a world record.
She hoped that if Eric held the record, the family might be able to attract companies willing to make shoes that fit the teen.
Once Eric outgrew his size 22 shoes, thousands of calls were made to different shoe companies to see if they would make a size 23 for him.
‘A lot of them said, “You have to be a collegiate or professional athlete, sorry we can’t help you,” so we went to the media,’ Eric explained.
Under Armor and Puma offered to help to the teen – and he also got a boost from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
‘Shaquille O’Neal reached out, and he gave me multiple pairs of shoes, like sporting shoes or luxury boots – all sorts of stuff,’ Eric said.
The new shoe options boosted Eric’s confidence and let him feel closer to his friends and peers in school.
The teen found shoe shopping became a challenge around fifth grade. His shoes had to be custom made and cost more than $1,500 a pair
Eric found sports such as basketball and football were a place for him to use his size to his advantage
‘I love to inspire people to be them and be who you are and not hide behind something,’ said Eric, ‘It’s okay to stand out. Don’t let negativity distract you from your goals’
‘You wouldn’t think that something as insignificant as just having shoes and different kinds of footwear to choose from would be something so impactful, but that’s absolutely what I’m seeing,’ said Eric’s mother.
She noted that all the attention led to some negative comments online and that Eric ‘had a very difficult time coping with that at the beginning.’
‘Seeing his confidence just from being able to walk into school with cool shoes and have his friends and peers “look at those, those are so great,’ you see him kind of swell with pride, and that is something that money can’t buy,’ she added.
Eric found sports such as basketball and football were a place for him to use his size to his advantage, he said: ‘Combined with my height, I make an excellent blocker for all kinds of shots in sporting events.’
Despite his size giving him an edge in sports, he says he regularly experiences joint, back, and neck pain.
Eric said that being featured in the Guinness Book of World Records ‘feels surreal,’ as the teenager read the book growing up.
When Eric outgrew his size 22 shoes, former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal sent the teen large parcels of clothes and shoes
‘You wouldn’t think that something as insignificant as just having shoes and different kinds of footwear to choose from would be something so impactful, but that’s absolutely what I’m seeing,’ said Eric’s mother
‘Seeing his confidence just from being able to walk into school with cool shoes and have his friends and peers “look at those, those are so great,’ you see him kind of swell with pride, and that is something that money can’t buy,’ Eric’s mother said
Companies have reached out to Eric to make shoes for the growing teenager
‘He makes me so proud, so many ways that having him get this world record is something I’m so happy for him to have, it’s not even close to the best thing about him,’ said his mother.
Eric told Guinness World Records that the unwavering support of his family has been an inspiration.
‘My mom has shown me that you can do anything even through hard times. Her strength and how she takes such good care of my brother and me, and also cares about others while working towards her goals, is pretty inspiring,’ he said.
Eric told Guinness World Records that the unwavering support of his family has been an inspiration
The record holder hopes to keep educating and inspiring people by getting involved in the non-profit organization, The Big Shoe Network, founded by his mother
‘My mom has shown me that you can do anything even through hard times,’ Eric said
He hopes to get involved with the nonprofit organization founded by his mother, The Big Shoe Network, which aims to help those who struggle to find clothes and shoes in their size.
‘I love to inspire people to be them and be who you are and not hide behind something,’ Eric said. ‘It’s okay to stand out. Don’t let negativity distract you from your goals.’
