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Banister Shoes

MCruz

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Dec 26, 2013
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Dear Mr. Banister,

Thank you for your reply.
My husband has a pair of Banister shoes.
I am an admirer of it. The soles are very thick - thicker than the ones made today. The Goodyear Neolite heel shows little wear.
It is a pair of shoes of the finest quality - no longer made or matched today, even by Italian made brands.
It is something to be truly proud of.
I will try to attach some photos for your daughter.

Diana B.
 

ScarpeDiem

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Hi Arthur,

I know this is an old post .. but I would be interested in learning more from Eva or yourself. How can I get in touch ?

Sincerely,

Dennis -
 

robfromstlouis7

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Banister was THE shoe in the city of St Louis, if you were'nt wareing you may as well be barefoot, GREAT styles and very well made, I wish I could find a shoe today I liked like my BANISTERS.
 

MouseyG61

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KoolKatt, Very nice article. Don't know if I knew you, but I'm from St.Louis and around that same era. A 1970 Beaumont High graduate. I wore the Banister shoes and still wear the Knox hats (Levine's). Was a "great" shoe. (Wolfe's). Back then "The Brothas" from "The Lou"had great style. Those were the days.
 
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MouseyG61

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KoolKatt, Not to mention, the boot collection!!!
 
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BobsDaughter

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Hi - I have an old wooden tool of some sort that has the James A. Banister Co. logo on it. I was wondering if you or perhaps someone in your family might be able to identify what it is. Thanks - -

 

Miss Banister

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I am sorry to report that the eldest living person in the Banister Shoe family, my father, has died. He posted to this forum a couple of years ago under the moniker, "ABanister5." His name was Arthur Williams (with an "s") Banister. He was born on January 7, 1928 in Springfield, Missouri. He died suddenly on June 14, 2014. As the family comes to terms with the passing of this incredible man, we try to find comfort wherever we can. For me, it means keeping the Banister Shoe legacy alive. I have been collecting memorabilia for about ten years now. Recently, I located the oldest pair of Banister shoes yet found. A wonderful eBay seller shared them with our family by listing them. (Thank you so much, Donna!) I'm delighted to have found these Victorian-era shoes, which are estimated to be from the early 1900's. Below, is a link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fabulous-An...V6fSgVP329SUT5fsAdtAI%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

It is heart-warming to see so many people from around the world showing interest in these vintage shoes. I hope to honor my father by keeping the Banister Shoe legacy alive. If you would like to reach me, please contact me at: [email protected]. I have just secured the BanisterShoes.org website, and hope to build it up over time. Until then, many thanks to all of you who have posted here and have purchased Banister Shoes. I'm very proud to be a member of this wonderful family.

Thank you,
Miss Banister
Great-great granddaughter of James A. Banister, Master Cobbler
 

VegTan

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I'm deeply sorry for your loss and looking forward to the launch of the website. Banisters are one of the hardest to find.


Newark, N.J., illustrated. (1893)

700



The industrial interests of Newark, N. J. (1874)

700
 

Louis Brown

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Been a Banister lover since the 60's. The names we used for the different popular styles then were Pilgrim, Drakos, Half Moons, and Baby Wing Tips. They were sold only in a store named Wolff's in downtown St. Louis. In the Martin Luthter King exhibit in Atlanta they have a pair of Pilgrims. That's what MLK wore. What stopped us from wearing them was the Edwardian look. Two of the most beautiful shoes ever made were the pilgrim alligator in brown and the Pilgrim grey lizard. Oh yeah, and the brown and white Baby Wing Tip.
 

RickToye

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Jul 9, 2015
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KoolKat, good stuff. My Dad wore Banisters for years. They were very popular in the DC area until the early 70's. A standout shoe because everyone did not wear them. As much of a shoe lover as I am, I never purchased a pair of Banisters, preferring Nettletons, Footjoys, Johnston & Murphys, and Ballys even to this day. Like with Footjoy, you can probably find some knock-offs out here, but I'm more than certain that they will not have anything near the level of craftsmanship that the true Banister's had. And you are so right about it being the preferred show of the old school gangster and hustler.
 

meister

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I like them.
 

Eva Banister

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May 8, 2019
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Update from Eva Banister (May 8, 2019):
Many thanks to all of the people who have shown interest in Banister Shoes, a.k.a the James A. Banister Company. I am pleased to announce the launch of the new website, "BanisterShoes.org." (It is not case sensitive as I have shown here.) Although it took several years, the website has all of the information I could find anywhere within it. I hope you will take a look at it and enjoy what you see and learn. Cheers!
 
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Eva Banister

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Dear Bobs Daughter,

What you have is a boot pull. It was a handy tool for removing boots, especially from the late 1800s, which were taller and laced to above the ankle. I have one of these, too!

Thanks for your interest in Banister Shoes,
Eva Banister



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