America’s tallest man gets custom $15K shoes – thanks to generous donors

Igor Vovkivinskiy, 29, stands 7-feet-8.33 inches tall.

He can't find shoes that fit.

America's tallest man hasn't been able to buy shoes from a shoe store since he was a teenager. He's had 16 surgeries on his feet in the past five years; non-supportive footwear has left him in constant pain.

"None of my shoes for too long have been made specifically for my feet. They rub, they make wounds, I have surgery, foot gets more deformed, they rub more, I have more surgery and so on. And the circle goes on," he wrote on his website.

"I do not have a shoe size," he added.

Seven years ago, a German cobbler made Vovkivinskiy three custom pairs of shoes. They were size 26. Since then, Vovkivinskiy's foot surgeries have altered the shape of his feet, making the shoes unwearable.

Vovkivinskiy contacted shoe companies. Reebok responded: a new pair of custom-made shoes would cost about $15,000.

Fed up with his sad shoe situation — and now aware of a price tag — he launched a fund-raising website and Facebook page, asking for $16,000 donations to help him pay for a pair of custom shoes. Strangers stepped up with more than $37,000 in shoe money.

Last Friday, Reebok announced their plans to fly Vovkivinskiy to their Canton, Massachusetts, headquarters and to custom-make him a pair of shoes — at no cost.

"Thank you so much to everyone who made this donation drive happen!!" Vovkivinskiy posted on his website. "I cannot believe my eyes at the amount and the generosity of the people. Thank you all."

Vovkivinskiy has yet to announce what he'll do with the thousands of dollars raised now that his pricey shoes are free.