Shaquille O’Neal and Reebok have stepped up to help a 6-foot-10 high school freshman, who went viral for his record-breaking size 23 feet.
Eric Kilburn Jr. — a 14-year-old football player at Goodrich High School in Michigan — made headlines earlier this month when he and his parents shared their struggles of finding him shoes that fit him.
Kilburn, who also goes by “Big E,” currently plays defensive tackle without cleats — and he only wears one pair of size 22 basketball shoes that a friend happened to find at a Nike outlet.
After hearing about Kilburn’s story, Reebok sent the teenager five pairs of Shaq’s custom size 22 shoes this week with the goal of offering some immediate relief.
“Since receiving, Eric’s been thrilled to be able to wear these shoes and even shared with us for the first time in years he couldn’t believe he even had options on different color ways and styles he could wear,” Reebok said in a statement.
O’Neal — who is currently recovering from hip replacement surgery he underwent this month — was able to connect with Kilburn this week on a phone call to offer further support.
On Tuesday, the Reebok Twitter account shared a photo of the five pairs of sneakers the brand gifted Kilburn.
“We got you,” the tweet read.
“Sending you some of @SHAQ’s shoes ASAP!”
Kilburn met with Under Armour for custom size 23 shoes on Sunday.
Robb Cropp, senior director of Footwear Development at Under Armour, took 3D renderings of the athlete’s feet at Bridgewood Church in Clarkston, where Kilburn’s family was present.
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Kilburn’s parents, Rebecca and Eric Sr. — who are both over 6-feet tall — told The Flint Journal that they went public with their son’s story (with his permission) after brands including Nike and Adidas turned them away.
Kilburn’s feet have also been measured by an orthopedic specialist — and the family recently discovered an option for custom-made shoes that would cost more than $1,500.
The price would have “strained” the family’s budget, Rebecca told the Today Show — however, she did offer to buy her son a pair.
Instead, Kilburn opted to wear Crocs for two years straight, including snowy weather conditions in Michigan.
Kilburn suffers from painful calluses, blisters and ingrown toenails due to wearing shoes that don’t fit.
He played three games this past season due to a high ankle sprain from not having cleats, and is still recovering from the injury.
Under Armour and Puma will be creating custom shoes and cleats for Kilburn, while Cat footwear wants to send him boots, the family said.
O’Neal is known for his generous acts of kindness.
The “NBA on TNT” personality previously told The Post that he wants to be remembered for his kindness before anything else.
Since retiring from the NBA in 2011, O’Neal has become known for helping others with grand gestures that have included paying for a stranger’s engagement ring — and more recently, funding one of his favorite Atlanta restaurants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
