Bally! The story of "The Bally Shoe"

The name Bally does not need an introduction at least in Switzerland or Europe or may be also in the rest of the world. The Bally shoe company was started by Carl Franz Bally in the year 1851. We had a very compassionate and a "very passisonate about shoes" guide to tell us "the story of Bally". How it all started in the basement of the house and slowely become one of the best shoe makers of the world.

                                      

The office! still kept like how it used to be.

Carl Franz Bally

                                    

The handwriting was far better than printing.

The entrance to the office.

The writing desk.

Our Guide !!! She has such passion for shoes and knew a lot about it, was worth a visit.

The workshop bits.

Olden days flip-flops

This was a huge piece of amythyst stone, formed in the form of a shoe given to the Bally people from Brazil as a gift.

I have never seen such a big amytheyst

Our guide said in those days also a "little shoe" worn as a pendant was considered to be very lucky, now we know where does people got all the ideas from.

The shoe for the Pope, now if you think about it, Pope always wears red shoes.

Royal shoes.

Shoes from Japan

These were some of the "old styled shoes" but after looking at them I realised the Fashion of the shoe repeats itself and our guide said so many shoemakers come here for inspiration.

House shoes

The embrodry on the leather was done in those days by housewives and then it was made into a shoe.

A Nike from "Roger Federer"

All old classics.

Again the same, beautiful shoes and Ja one old saying from England "No brown after eight" and people used to follow it very seriously.

The shoe from "The Queen of England"

The heels.

and again, with such intricate work.

This little wodden thingy was used to wear the boots.

Winter boots.

Shoes from China.

And of course "India"

and Africa

 "The shoemakers" One very interesting thing I found out about them is. The shoemaker while making the shoe would chew on a small piece of leather. This worked like a drug for him and then he was totally in his element.

Again chinese shoes. The girls in china in those days were considered beautiful with small feet. So they were given small shoes and there feet were tied so that they stay small. 

These shoes were used in the hot regions. The women would wear them to get to the pool/water and leave them close to the pool and get in.

These are small little shoes made from procelian. A very interesting story here. If a man would love a girl he would write a letter to her and send her in this little shoe. Sometimes if the girls were lucky they would get lots of these shoes. I loved the idea. I think Vilreory should start making them !!!

The whole group.

The end.

Auf wieder sehen.

Lieben gruss

Ity