Standing out a lot is not always good. Eric Kilburn, a young American football player, can attest to this. At 14 years old, he already measures more than two meters and wears one foot, at his age, almost a record: the equivalent of a European 59.
For now, he needed Shaquille O’Nealall a former star of the NBA, came to the rescue to provide him with something that his mother has a terrible time finding: shoes in his size. The media impact of that decision, in turn, led to brands like Puma o Under Armour to turn around to try to take advantage of the pull by offering custom-made shoes. His size and his volume, of course, allow him to stand out, and a lot, in his game. But, in turn, they multiply the options of suffering from physical problems that can become tremendously complicated.
“The sport you have chosen is where you will feel more comfortable, because they will value it a lot, but, on a body level, it will take its toll on you,” says the doctor. Alberto Martinez Olleran expert podiatrist in Biomechanics and through whose experienced hands many elite athletes have already passed.
«We are facing an example of a pathology known as acromegaly or gigantism. There are cases in which a person with this type of condition can end up wearing between 60 and 70 feet. And that implies having to resort to custom shoes. In fact, practically everything custom. And, beyond the aesthetic problems of clothing and footwear, his life is not going to be easy », he explains.
«Normally, people with these growth disorders usually also have associated alterations and the saddest thing is that many also have a reduced life expectancy, which is usually between 15 and 20 years with respect to the average”, he highlights. «The most serious problems that they can have have to do with the heart.