LEISURE airline giant Airtours International has signed up York-based shoe-shop.com as the preferred supplier of corporate footwear for its more than 2,000 flight staff.

It is the second triumphant news this month for Stuart Paver, founder and director of the "virtual" shoe shop after his venture won the Innovative Use of New Technology award in the Evening Press Business of the Year.

Shoe-shop.com has built a dedicated portal to provide corporate footwear for Airtours International's 1,500 cabin crew, 500 flight desk staff and 200 ground staff operating out of 22 airports in the UK and Ireland.

Jacqui Taylor, uniform executive at Airtours International, soon to re-brand as My Travel, said: "We have a strict dress code to adhere to and choosing footwear is no exception. Stringent criteria such as heel height - a CAA regulation - and smartness are taken extremely seriously.

"One problem with such exacting standards is that it can be difficult and time-consuming for flight crew to find shoes on the high street that meet the criteria. This partnership provides the perfect solution.

"Air crew can do their shopping round the clock if they work unconventional hours and they are guaranteed to be able to get shoes in the specified style and right size."

Airtours flight staff will be able to choose from three female styles and two male styles of shoe, selected for their look, high quality and practicality.

The portal is already up and running in preparation for orders from the expected new intake of Airtours flight staff in readiness for next summer.

Mr Paver, who was also a finalist in the Business Personality of the Year category of the Evening Press Business Awards, said: "The corporate footwear market has massive untapped potential.

"There are huge, obvious advantages in buying corporate footwear over the Internet. One of the biggest online benefits for individuals is that they can buy a specified shoe from a designated online supplier rather than search the high street, and for companies the online option negates the need to buy footwear in bulk."

Shoe-shop.com already handles corporate footwear requirements on behalf of companies, including safety footwear supplier Arco.