Norman Walsh
Norman Walsh was born in Daubhill, Bolton, in 1931; his father, William, was a cobbler. He left school at 14 to start an apprenticeship at J.W. Foster & Sons, and in 1948 Joe and Jeff Foster chose him to make their Fosters De Luxe track spikes. In 1958 he designed the boots Nat Lofthouse wore in the FA Cup Final. In 1961 he left the Fosters to launch his own Walsh brand, making specialist sports shoes by hand to order. In 1970 he and fell runner Pete Bland created the PB, which Walsh calls the first fell-running shoe. Walsh also says Don Ritchie ran 100 km at Crystal Palace in October 1978 wearing its Tornados.
Shoes
Shown here are trainers from Walsh's Bolton line, including the Tornado, the Whirlwind and the PB Elite fell-running shoe. Each listing is one colourway whose own product page gives England as its origin.
Only the colourways listed here are checked as Made in Britain. Walsh also makes shoes in China, including other colourways of some styles.
