Luke Bryan saw 'American Idol' contestant's boots were filled with holes so he left him teary-eyed with unforgettable surprise

Certain gestures may seem small but can become unforgettable for people who are on the receiving end of it. An "American Idol" contestant felt something similar when judge Luke Bryan decided to gift him the boots he was wearing after noticing the state of the shoes he was wearing. Bryan was moved by the 19-year-old singer's performance, as per PEOPLE and decided to give the singer a wholesome surprise. The singer and songwriter had noticed that the contestant, Colby Swift's soles were filled with holes.

The contestants had to come into the spotlight for a part of the show and Bryan called Swift to the spotlight first. At that moment, he noticed that his cowboy boots had a lot of holes. "Colby, can you show the camera the bottom of your shoes there? Wouldn’t be a 12D, would it?" the judge asked the singer. "I mean, whatever fits," the contestant responded. "Well, I’m a 12D, and I’ll solve that little problem," Bryan commented before walking towards Swift to exchange his shoes with him. The judge walked with the boots and handed them over to the singer. The other judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, also encouraged him to change into Bryan's shoes as per the outlet.

"So Colby, those boots are made for walking to the next round," Bryan expressed. In the next round, the contestant sang "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender and dedicated the performance to his sister. The performance moved all three judges so much that they gave Swift a standing ovation. "That was crazy. I never thought I’d get a standing ovation, man. To have Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie stand up for me, that’s a blessing, man and the whole crowd. I never thought I’d do that," the 19-year-old admitted as his eyes welled up. The man advanced to the next round but was unfortunately eliminated during the group round because he forgot some words while singing Bruno Mars's hit song "Grenade." Bryan felt quite sad about Swift's elimination.

During the show, he expressed, "They told me those boots were your lucky boots, and then you put my boots on and this happens." The man, in turn, pointed out, "I am leaving with my head held high and Luke Bryan’s boots. They’re my boots now. They ain’t yours no more." The singer had admitted that this was a big opportunity for him, as per TODAY.com. "I never sang in front of a lot of people before. I ain't never taken a day of voice lessons before in my life. I can't sing like anybody else. I'm me. I'm Colby Swift. I ain't trying to be like anybody else," the singer revealed.

"I got Luke Bryan's boots!" the singer exclaimed before going off the stage after his performance. The clip of the exchange was posted on X by American Idol's account, @AmericanIdol. @Debbie53B wrote, "Just watched Colby toss his holey boots in the lobby. You made one Texas cowboy happy! How cool is that! You are!" @SilveryThreads1 commented, "Wow, I can't even speak. It is like we do things for others without thinking. I know I do every chance I get. Luke, I've loved you as a person and your singing since you started, but wow, honey, so special what you did here without thinking twice. God bless you." @Luvchunks remarked, "This is why I love Luke Bryan, not just for his amazing talent but also for his kindness towards people. He is so deserving of everything!"