Talk about Bigfoot! America's tallest man is fitted out for size 26 shoes that cost $20,000 so he can finally take his dog for a walk

The tallest man in the United States traveled from Minneapolis 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 7 feet, 8 and one-third inches tall with a shoe size somewhere between a 22 and 26.

American's tallest man, 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,' said Vovkovinskiy

'I look forward to just going for a walk with my dog, just walking around the neighborhood.'

Vovkovinskiy traveled to Reebok headquarters in Canton on Thursday for a complex shoe-fitting that involved, among other things, custom pressure-mounting equipment, bio-foam, a device that takes precise measurements of length, a tape measure and a handful of technicians.

Reebok is building the shoes at a cost to them of $12,000 to $20,000.

It has helped Vovkovinskiy before and hopes to again, the company said, who are helping Vovkovinskiy free of charge.

The size of Vovkovinskiy's shoes depends on measurements such as the length, width and distance from his soles to the top of his feet.

Those measurements are particularly tricky with Vovkovinskiy because he has unusually shaped toes and feet because of his numerous surgeries.

It will take the company up to six weeks to create prototypes for Vovkovinskiy to try out.

Then, they'll fine-tune them to produce proper-fitting shoes.

Originally from the Ukraine, Vovkovinskiy, 29, moved at age seven with his mother to Minnesota for treatment of his condition, known as pituitary gigantism.

When he moved he was 6 feet tall at the time.

Vovkovinskiy said his life changed when the series of 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,' said Voykrovinskiy.

Shoes that fit will get him outside and make a huge difference, said Voykrovinskiy.

'Basically, I'm a prisoner of my own house, even though I am medically cleared to walk,' said Vovkovinskiy.

'Where am I going to go with shoes that are painful?'

DAILY MAIL REPORTER