“I Know My Feet Stink”: Shaquille O’Neal Once Confessed Splurging $1000 on His Feet

It seems as if Shaquille O’Neal can do no wrong when living the type of life he wants. Be it dressing up in a certain way or painting his toenails, Shaq’s unapologetic personality is something fans absolutely love. But what many may not be aware of is the fact that Shaq has some jacked-up feet. And he even went on to admit what he did to make up for it and how much he’d spent on his feet.

In 2019, Shaquille O’Neal sat down with Sara Haines and Michael Strahan to get a pedicure of his feet on Good Morning America. While on the show, O’Neal revealed that he got his toenails painted and how it started.

The NBA legend first compared his feet to Michael Strahan, who noticed his painted toenails. Baffled by this, Strahan asked Shaq if his toenails were actually painted and what led to this scenario.

That is when The Big Aristotle went on to share the story of how this ordeal began when he had suffered an injury back in the day. And during rehabilitation, his daughters would paint his toenails at home. Since then, it has become somewhat of a ritual, with the big man even admitting his feet looked better with the polish on.

“So, what happened one time was I had a toe injury. My daughters were young and they used to play games on Daddy. So, they painted my toes and I had a good game, so, it became part of my ritual. And it helps my feet look a little bit better.”

Last year, Shaq also went on to reveal how much he had to pay to get his feet beautified and his toenails trimmed. While on the Big Podcast, he said the following.

“I give about $1,000 because I know my feet stink. I know they’re ugly. And I like to paint them. I paint that [expletive] because it’s ugly.”

Shaquille O’Neal wears a size 22 shoe, which is well over 14 inches. Throughout his career, O’Neal has had to wear a different variety of sneakers. And while most of them were of Shaq’s preference, not all the sneakers he wore allowed his feet to breathe.

Since then, Shaq’s feet have been known to be ugly and of a foul smell, something that the Los Angeles Lakers legend has admitted to himself. That said, having to pay $1000 for a mere pedicure still sounds downright diabolical. However, then again, given the state of O’Neal’s feet without that kind of care, perhaps it is a necessary expense for the big man. 

Shaquille O’Neal and his messed-up feet

We have heard Shaquille O’Neal admit that his feet are ugly and messed up. But for his pedicurist to admit the same just bolsters Shaq’s initial statement of having jacked-up feet. This is what Shaq’s pedicurist said about the Hall of Famer’s feet last year.

“I don’t want your money. Your feet stink and these are the worst feet I’ve ever worked on. I quit.”

Not just his pedicurist but Shaq’s former teammate, Dwyane Wade too admitted that The Big Shaqtus had some messed up feet. And it was hard for him to watch his feet every time he took off his shoes. Wade admitted that he is still recovering from that sight to this day. during a segment on TNT’s Inside the NBA.

“I done seen them thangs a lot, and every time it’s shocking.”

Luckily for Wade, he may not have to see Shaq’s feet anymore. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for O’Neal’s pedicurist. Hopefully, Shaq will give her a raise for the amount of work she continues to put in for his sake.