A BOLTON-based footwear brand started by a master craftsman and still bearing his name is extending its influence across the globe with launches in Japan and Korea.

Norman Walsh Footwear in Park Hill Street bucks the trend in a field dominated by Made in China labels, offering a "best of British" brand that is helping to keep a tradition of manufacturing alive both in Bolton and in the UK.

Over the past year, the athletics' brand has also become the style favourites of celebrities like Bolton actress Maxine Peake, The Vamps, Mani from Stone Roses and Tony McCarrol from Oasis, all spotted wearing them.

At the same time, the brand has been busy manufacturing athletics' shoes that push performance boundaries.

The brand's success story goes back to 1945 when 14 year-old Norman Walsh left school and followed his father into the footwear business.

He served his apprenticeship with the Bolton-based Foster Brothers' footwear company where he became a master craftsman.

Mr Foster was the grandfather of Joe and Jeff Foster who both went on to found the famous Reebok brand.

Young Norman's skills were recognised early on by Foster's as he made an incredibly diverse range of shoes for track and field, road and fell-running, rugby league, football and cricket.

All his work was handcrafted and specially made for individual customer needs. In 1948, Norman made all the shoes worn by the British Olympic team, triggering interest in his work from around the world and he began making footwear for top international athletes.

He tailor-made his trademark shoes with their soft, flexible upper and tough sole for famous names like mountaineer Chris Bonington who wore them to make the ascent of the notoriously tough Mount Kongur in China.

Ex-England cricket captain Tony Greig wore Norman Walsh's shoes as did runners Roger Bannister and Bolton's own Ron Hill among many.

For the past 40 years, his fell-running shoes have been voted the UK No.1 footwear and worn by champions Billy Bland, Ian Holmes and Rob Hope.

When Jamie Bunchuck was first home on the 182-mile Betpak-Dala Steppe in Kazakhstan he praised his Norman Walsh made shoes.

"They perform incredibly well," he stated. "The main issue I had, running-wise, was wasting a lot of energy in pools of dusty sand, but the PB Ultra (shoes) provided a lot of traction through this sort of terrain.

"They didn't allow my feet to slip, nor create any blisters, despite the sand, while allowing enough space for my swelling feet across the eight hours of daily running."

After selling his business, Mr Walsh lived in the Ladymead Nursing and Residential Home in Heaton in his latter years and died last year at the age of 82.