Mary Jane is an American term for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.
Classic Mary Jane or bar shoes by Start-rite (known as Sonnet in the United States).
Modern chunky-heeled Mary Jane shoes
The family of Prince Oskar of Prussia in 1925: the three boys (aged 10, 8, and 3) are wearing Mary Janes.
Orthopedic Mary Janes
Buster Brown is a comic-strip character created in 1902 by Richard F. Outcault. Adopted as the mascot of the Brown Shoe Company in 1904, Buster Brown, along with Mary Jane, and with his dog Tige, became well known to the American public in the early 20th century. The character's name was used to describe a popular style of suit for young boys, the Buster Brown suit, that reflected his outfit.
Buster and Tige, cropped from a 1906 political cartoon. "Hoist" refers in New York accent to William Randolph Hearst
Tige from the 1905 book, "Tige" His Story
21-year-old dwarf actor "Master Gabriel" plays the title role of Buster Brown, with George Ali as Tige, in the 1905 Broadway production.
Image: Buster Brown's