KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This story begins with an email:
“Mr. Holmes. My name is Donnell Taylor. I am a small business owner of Donnell’s Automotive. I have an employee that has a size 25 feet. Yes. He is very shy, and his feet are hurting him badly. His shoes are torn. It’s bad. Can you help me find some shoes for him? He’s a good mechanic and his feet are killing him.”
Needless to say, I have never met someone *in his shoes* and very few people his size. His name is Cortez Sexton Jr. He is 6 foot, 11 inches tall.
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After receiving the email, I put a call out on social media. I even tagged Shaquille O’Neal on Instagram. O'Neal wears a size 22 sneaker, which is still too small for Cortez.
When I stopped by Donnell’s Automotive, Donnell Taylor spoke highly of his employee.
“Since I’ve hired him, he’s been a good mechanic," Taylor said.
And with shoes too small, it’s still difficult to get this mechanic’s full potential out of first gear.
Stores don’t typically carry a size 20-anything. I asked him how many shoes in his closet he finds comfortable.
“Eh, about two of them — these and some boots I got online," Sexton said.
Even those shoes were bursting at the seams. Holes everywhere.
For most of us, that’s not comfort. And for someone on his feet around heavy machinery, that could be dangerous.
A few days after my plea on social media, Jacob Osenton contacted me. He makes custom shoes, custom boots and repairs shoes. We connected him with Taylor and Sexton.
“I’m gonna get some measurements on your foot,” Osenton explained to Sexton. “I’m gonna send them off to a company that’ll give me what I need to make your shoes. Does that sound good?
Sexton replied, “That sounds awesome.”
Everyone should have a sturdy, comfortable pair of shoes that fit. It’s the “Gift of Sole.”
“He’ll be happy,” Taylor explained to me. “I feel like it’ll give him more confidence — that’ll bring a smile to him. I just want to see him happy.”
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