Nation’s tallest man gets custom-made tennis shoes

Published 9:21 am Friday, October 19, 2012

ROCHESTER — It was a tall order to fill, but the tallest man in the United States now has his own custom-made tennis shoes.

Igor Vovkovinskiy stands just over 7 feet, 8 inches tall. He’s long struggled to find shoes for his size 24, 10E feet.

But the 30-year-old Minnesota man received three custom-made pairs Thursday from Reebok that took five months to make. As he tried on a pair, he said it felt as if he were “walking on pillows or mattresses.”

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For as long as he can remember, he’s had one pair of shoes. He says he’s had 16 foot surgeries in six years because of damage caused by ill-fitting shoes.

Vovkovinskiy knew who he’d tell first about his new shoes, saying: “My mom.”