German Wants to Shoe World's Tallest Woman

Shoemaker George Wessels reports he has spent years trying to track down Yao Defen, a woman from a poor farming family from the Anhui province who measures in at an astonishing 2.36 meters (7 ft. 8 in.), according to Chinese doctors.

"I wrote to China to ask her what kind of shoes she would like and in what color," Wessels told Reuters. "She answered that she didn't care at all what color they were, she would just be so happy to have some proper footwear."

No wonder Yao has had problems finding shoes; she needs a European size 57 (around 20 US). While it might be hard to find that down at the local shoe store in the mall, for Wessels it's not a problem. He's already made a European size 69 pair (29 US) for Matthew McGrory, who the Guinness World Records book says has the world's biggest feet.

Yao's giantess status is due in large part to treatment she is undergoing for a brain tumor, which has stimulated her body to release excessive amounts of growth hormone.