Sportswear giants Under Armour are preparing to make their biggest shoes ever.
But they're not making them for some big-name NBA player or man mountain NFL star they sponsor.
No, instead the company is producing them for a teenager.
Advert
Standing at 6-foot-10-inches tall, Eric Kilburn Jr from Michigan is pretty damn tall for a teenager.
But at just 14 years of age, he's expected to keep on growing.
A budding young footballer, Eric currently wears size 22 shoes – the biggest his family could find.
But the shoes were getting too small, causing rubbing, blisters and even ingrown toenails.
Advert
Desperate to help her son, Eric's mother Rebecca issued a plea to the wider community in a bid source him a pair that fit just right.
Incredibly, Under Armour got back to her and said they would hook Eric up.
Advert
The popular sportswear manufacturer invited the youngster and his family to their headquarters where he would be fitted with a custom-made shoe.
After a 3D render took a scan of his feet, a mold was made to measure perfectly, meaning Eric could slot into his shoes without the fear of them causing him pain.
On top of making him a pair of everyday shoes, the company also offered to get Eric a pair of football boots too.
When all was said and done, he would need a size 23 shoe – the largest Under Armour had ever created.
Advert
The huge shoes are currently in production and could take six to eight weeks to arrive.
During his time at Under Armour, Eric met met with the brand's senior director of Footwear Development Robb Cropp.
Advert
"This is my biggest foot ever, that is for sure," Robb told Eric in a video.
"I've been doing this about 30 years and I've never had anyone this size."
In the clip, Eric also showed his appreciation for what Under Armour were doing for him, saying that it 'means everything' to him.
"Just having shoes that don't cause blisters or pain on my feet would mean the world," Eric said.
"It felt great just knowing that this is the first step in the line of getting new shoes."
While a pair of shoes doesn't seem like much, it was an important moment for the family.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Eric's mother Rebecca told USA Today.
“I have been this puddle of emotions, all of them good… It’s the coolest thing to be able to say we did it! He has shoes! I am not usually a crier, but I have been in a constant state of happy tears… We are so grateful.”
Upon seeing Under Armour's heartwarming move, a bunch of other sports brands have decided to lend a helping hand too – Puma being one of them.
"There is no mold size for this, because it's such a rarity from a mass production perspective," Puma's head of basketball operations Max Staiger said.
"What we will make looks and feels like a normal shoe, with just a little tweak... We've done this before with no issue at all. $1,500 for any pair of shoes is almost insanity, I don't care what size it is."
Topics: American Football, United States, Basketball