CANTON, Mass. — The tallest man in the United States traveled from Minnesota to Massachusetts on Thursday for a custom shoe-fitting with Reebok that he hopes will help him live a normal life.
Igor Vovkovinskiy says he’s had 16 surgeries in six years to fix problems created by shoes that didn’t fit. He’s about 7-foot-8, with a shoe size somewhere between a 22 and 26.
Vovkovinskiy says his only shoes have no traction, making it “suicidal” to leave his home.
“I haven’t been able to go for a joyful walk for six years now,” he said. “I look forward to just going for a walk with my dog, just walking around the neighborhood.”
Reebok says it’s constructing the shoes at a cost of $12,000 to $20,000. The company has helped Vovkovinskiy before and hopes to again, it said.
Vovkovinskiy, 29, is originally from Ukraine. At age 7, he moved with his mother to Minnesota for treatment of his condition, known as pituitary gigantism. He was 6 foot tall at the time.
Vovkovinskiy said his life changed when his surgeries started. That forced him to spend three years on bed rest, during which time his muscles weakened and he gained weight. “Living the last six years has been a nightmare basically,” he said.
Shoes that fit will get him outside and make a huge difference, he said.
