Teenage boys are notorious for outgrowing their clothing as soon as they buy it. Broc Brown, a 19 year-old in Michigan Center, Michigan, has the same problem.
But Brown is unique because he has Sotos syndrome, also known as cerebral gigantism, and he doesn’t stop growing. He’s 7 feet 8 inches tall and his feet are a size 28. That means his feet are around 17 inches long.
Clothes and shoes can cost Brown a fortune; normally, his shoes are $400 to $500. That’s where a new footwear company, Feetz, comes in. The two were connected by the Tall Tale Agency, which represents the tallest people in the world, and Brown began the digital shoe creation process to make the world’s largest 3-D printed shoes.
The San Diego company has made its name for 3-D printing shoes made to be a perfect fit. On March 1, Feetz CEO Lucy Beard delivered a pair to Brown.
She came to surprise him during a wrestling match, and told CNN, “He felt special. For everyone, no matter your size, it should be easy to get a pair of shoes.”
In a video the Browns posted on YouTube, Brown’s aunt Stacy Snyder said, “It’s not every day that we can find a pair of shoes that fit Broc, and these fit perfectly.”
The video shows Brown slipping on the shoes, which are black and red for the Chicago Bulls, his favorite team. “Whoa,” Brown said while admiring his feet, “Heck, I don’t like them. I love them. Thank you.”
Doctors have said Brown will have a normal life span, but they’re not sure when he’ll stop growing, Brown’s aunt told MLive, the local Michigan news site. Sotos syndrome has also given Brown chronic knee and back pain that requires physical therapy.
According to Beard, Brown has already ordered a pair of Feetz sandals for the summertime, the first sandals he’s owned in years.
CNN reached out to Brown for comment but hasn’t received a response.
