Fresh air is all very well in its proper place - out of doors.' A bookish sort of academic reportedly said that as she closed a window, cigarette in place between clenched teeth.

Such stuffiness would be anathema to United States-reared Englishman James Choularton (pictured left), the entrepreneur behind the new Outdoor Traders store in Abingdon, who aims to help more of us brush away mental cobwebs by getting out in the fresh air - with the right equipment.

And providing the right gear is becoming an ever more scientific process, with customers demanding their boots, for instance, be customised to exactly fit their feet.

Mr Choularton, 35, said: "In the United States, where I trained, people want boots supplied by someone trained in orthotics. Now I think that is increasingly becoming the case here too."

He has taken two courses in orthotics. When selling a pair of boots, complete with a specially-made inner sole to accommodate an individual's foot, he would typically take about 40 minutes looking at such things as the customer's stance.

Mr Choularton left the UK for America with his parents when he was 12 and immediately found the outdoor life, particularly skiing and walking, was the life for him and ultimately he turned his hobby into a career. In the US he acted as buyer and manager for Outdoor Traders at Greenwich, Connecticut, which was founded in the 1940s.

Back in Britain, now married to Rosella from Sicily, he worked at Walkabout. Now he has taken over the premises at East Helen Street and changed the name to Abingdon Outdoor Traders, although its only relation to the US store is in its name. Mr Choularton said: "I don't think the skiing industry sells itself very well in the UK, which leaves room for qualified independent advisers."

And qualified he is. He spent months perfecting the techniques of fitting ski bindings and filing and bevelling skis, as well as keeping right up to date with all developments in the outdoor clothing world.

But why does someone who loves the great outdoors spend his time indoors? He said: "I want to sell the best products without causing unnecessary harm to the environment, which is why I sell a range called Patagonia - clothes that are entirely made of recycled fibres."

o Contact: 01235 527704 www.outdoortradersuk.com