Tallest man in America gets $12,000 sneakers – size 24

Standing at 7 feet, 8 and one-third inches, Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in America, has struggled for years to find shoes to fit his enormous feet.

But yesterday the 30-year-old was given three pairs of sneakers, size 24, that were custom made by Reebok.

"This is the first time in my life that I have a choice in shoes," Vovkovinskiy told The Rochester Post-Bulletin reported.

"It feels so good, like I'm walking on pillows or mattresses."

The Huffington Post reported Reebok built the shoes at a cost of $12,000 to $20,000. 

Vovkovinskiy, who was born in the Ukraine, moved to the US in 1989 to undergo surgery for a tumor on his pituitary gland to stop his rapid growth. He has endured 16 operations on his feet, because he found it impossible to find shoes to fit.

The pain made it difficult to walk or to wear his one pair of shoes, he said.

"For so long it hurt to have shoes on," the Rochester Post-Bulletin quoted him. 

"Every day I was in pain. I want to be active again and walk."