Only the best testing will do for a UK footwear company, which has enrolled the efforts of the army to develop their shoes.

Wolston business UK Gear were enlisted in the making of two types of training shoes, designed to cope with extreme climates.

The Army Physical Training Corps (APTC) put the shoes through their paces from the heat of Afghanistan to the icy tracts of Norway.

Founder of UK Gear David Hinde said: "These elite fitness professionals are involved in every stage of the development of our products and test them in some of the harshest conditions on earth."

UK Gear, which has been in business since 1993, has also won a contract to supply the US army with extreme footwear.

In order to qualify for the APTC, candidates have to complete a nine-week course at the Army School of Physical Training followed by a further 30-week course of training.

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