Imagine having a feet so big you can’t find your size in the market. Also, imagine having to get a medical intervention to stop your feet from getting any bigger. Here’s what you should know about Jeison Orlando Rodríguez Hernandez, the man with the world’s biggest feet.
At the age of 10, Jeison Orlando Rodríguez Hernandez who is from Maracay in Venezuela, already knew he probably had the world’s largest feet.
With a size 45 in Venezuelan measurements and already the biggest feet in his family, Jeison did indeed go on to set a new record for the Largest feet on a living person – male in 2014 which was extended in 2016 when his right foot measured 40.1 cm (1.31 ft) and his left foot reached 39.6 cm (1.30 ft).
As a child Jeison was often teased for the size of his feet and finding shoes has never been easy.
When he couldn’t find any in his hometown that fitted, Jeison had to wear sandals made of old tyres and fabric to reach school or other appointments.
In 2011, shoemaker Georg Wessels in Germany began to create new shoes with a special material just for him immediately after he heard about him. Georg flew out to Venezuela to meet Jeison and deliver his first pair of shoes since Jeison was even struggling to fit on a plane.
All this happened until 2018 when the 22-year-old had his big break – he was discovered by the world.
The now 24-year old who is also 7 ft 2.6 in (220 cm) tall and has been undergoing treatment in a bid to stop his feet from growing further, said the World Records made him appreciate himself more, especially the value of the size of his feet. He wants to become a top chef, baking cakes with various flavours all blended together and using his platform to help others who are in his condition.
Jeison’s original sandals from his school days now sit in Georg’s museum.
All is not rosy for Jeison as there are health problems associated with large feet.
While larger-than-average feet can make shoe shopping a nuisance, they also may be indicative of broader health problems. Oversized feet and hands are among the symptoms associated with acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that occurs when the pituitary gland makes excess growth hormone.
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