k-flash audio commentBally
k-flash audio commentBally

The case

The history of an eminent Swiss company.

Source: Philipp Abegg, Martin Matter – 2025, 312 pages – 978-3-03919-649-4 / Publisher: Hier und Jetzt – 28 October 2025: Book launch in Schönenwerd 

The commentary

Alongside icons such as Lindt & Sprüngli and Nestlé, Bally is considered a pillar of the Swiss industry. Bally’s origins trace back to a bricklayer from Vorarlberg who settled in Schönenwerd, Solothurn, and began trading in silk ribbons. In 1851, Carl Franz Bally converted the family business into a shoe manufacturer, launching a company with assembly line production just like in America at the time. Bally swiftly became a leader in the European footwear industry, and thanks to stylish designs, bold advertising and its own retail network, Bally set global standards and has remained a symbol of high-quality fashionable Swiss footwear despite going through a number of changes of ownership.

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