BUSTER BROWN SHOES - HISTORY AND LEGACY

Buster Brown was a comic strip character in 1902 created by Richard F. Outcault. In 1904, Buster Brown became the icon of the Brown Shoe Company along with the cartoon characters of Mary Jane and Buster's dog, Tige. Buster's cartoon character suit became a popular style for young boys. Buster Brown was based on the son of Charles and Anna Fisher of Flushing, New York that included the “pageboy” haircut. The name “Buster” came from the popular child actor in vaudeville at the time, Buster Keaton. 

TIGE, 1905

The character Mary Jane was also created from real life. She was Outcault's daughter of the same name. Mary Jane is Buster's girlfriend. Tige was an American Pit Bull Terrier, considered the first talking pet to appear in comics.

In 1904, Outcault traveled to St. Louis where the World's Fair where he sold licenses to about 200 companies to use the Buster Brown character to advertise their products. The association with shoes began with John Bush, a sales executive with the Brown Shoe Company when he convinced his company to purchase the rights to the Buster Brown name and the brand was first introduced to the public at the 1904 World's Fair.

Dwarfs and midgets were hired by the Brown Shoe Company to play Buster in tours around the United States. The actors were accompanied by a dog where they performed in department stores, theaters, and shoe stores from 1904 until 1930.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the Brown Shoe Company entered the comic book publishing business with Buster Brown Comics, a form of advertising for the Buster Brown retailer. The characters were revived with a more contemporary look for an advertising period between 1980 and 1990.

BUSTER BROWN LOGO

Live-action two-reel films of Buster Brown were produced from 1925 to 1929 by the Stern Bros at Universal Pictures. Buster Brown was played by Arthur Trimble. Pal the Wonder Dog played Tige and director Gus Meins later associated the character in the film series Our Gang, better known as the Little Rascals. The dog Pal became known as Pete the Pup who carried on the role after Pal died in 1930.

In 1905, a play was performed on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre entitled Buster Brown. The play starred a 21-year-old dwarf actor named Master Gabriel (1882-1929). Gabriel performed in another children's play in 1908 entitled Little Nemo and returned in 1913 for another engagement as Buster Brown. The famous animal impersonator actor George Ali portrayed Tige.

A Buster Brown radio series began in 1943 on the NBC Radio Network. It included characters like Froggy the Gremlin and the Midnight Cat. The show moved to television in 1950, running for four years as The Buster Brown Show starring Ed McConnell. Andy Devine took over in 1955 after McConnell's death and the show was changed to Andy's Gang.

Incredibly, Buster Brown Shoe Company still exists as one of the largest shoe companies in the world with an annual sales of $2.5 billion. It makes shoes as the Brown Shoe Company with Buster Brown being the chapter of children's shoes. After WW2 ended in 1945, the company worked to modernize its operations by the third president, Clark Gamble. In 1950 he merged with Wohl Shoes who specialized in women's shoes. In 1953 Brown Company acquired another retail chain, Regal Shoes. Brown then became the 4^th largest shoe manufacturer in the United States.

In the 1950s, until we moved from Chicago to the suburbs, my sister and I were always taken to a Buster Brown shoe store for shoes, especially dress shoes for events like Easter Sundays. My sister, Pam, looked like a little doll dressed up. 

Back then, every shoe store had this equipment:

Of course Buster Brown shoes were purchased for my first suit in 1952/53:

In the 1960s, Brown's earnings rose until a flood of imports swamped the United States shoe industry in 1968. The president then was W.L. Hadley Griffin in 1969 and decided to diversify into retail other than shoes. Brown Company acquired retail fabric chains, the Eagle Rubber Company, Kent Sporting Goods, and a luggage sales company.

In 1972, Brown Shoe Company changed its name to Brown Group, Inc. By 1973, 20% of Brown's sales were coming from diversified sources. It continued to diversity in the 1970s with two main areas: children's products and sports/recreation.

In 2002, more than 100 stores are closed and 700 “Famous Footwear” outlets are remodeled.

In 1999, the company began calling itself Brown Shoe Company again, but now incorporated. The Naturalizer brand of women's shows became the 8^th largest women's shoe brand sold at department stores. By 2002, the brand ranked as the 2^nd largest.

Buster Brown shoes can be found at Target retail stores. Buster Brown stores can be located at this LINK.

In the state of Georgia, two stores are located in Atlanta and one in Decatur. Buster Brown Shoes and repair shops can be found in Texas. In Colorado Springs, Colorado. In Nebraska and other places where a Target retail store can be found.