The BSTA is the oldest regional shoe travelers association in the USA, founded in Boston, MA in 1901. Our organization was established by several footwear sales reps traveling dirt roads in the earliest automobiles, horse drawn buggies, and even steam trains. Bringing the latest new shoe styles to the myriad of independent and department store retailers in New England, they founded the Boston Shoe Travelers Association as a brotherhood (and now a sisterhood) to help one another and create footwear trade shows to help the retailers assess the latest offerings in one centralized location.
While today’s traveling BSTA reps are very different, using the latest technology and terms such as Internet, JPEGS, social media and other new media jargon, our goal and objectives to the new wave retailers of the 21st century including many fine independents, catalogs and Internet accounts are the same.
We want the BSTA retail base to enjoy the finest trade shows our organization can produce. Our shows, currently being held in a first class venue in Manchester NH (Radisson Hotel & Convention Ctr.), offers a clean, brightly lit, easily accessible and friendly environment to do business and to socialize. Over 250 sales reps and 600 shoes and accessories lines are currently showing at each show. We have retail and vendor attendees from all six New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida and several other states.