BALLY @ A History Of The BALLY Hiking Boot

 On May 29 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the first climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. His companion, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the most knowledgeable man of the mountain, was Sir Edmund’s climber of choice, having previously saved his life in earlier expeditions. It was Tenzing, wearing his Bally crafted Reindeer-Himalaya boots, who was photographed by Sir Edmund at the summit. The latter refused to be photographed by Tenzing - a testament to the spirit and bond they shared.

These boots, which can be seen today at the Bally Museum in Switzerland, featured the ‘Sparta’ grip, invented by Bally in the late 1920s specifically for hiking and heavy winter boots. Its thickness and sharply cut profile with three-pronged design, gave the boots a good grip in all directions. A new development in the consistency of the rubber assured that the sole didn’t harden in cold weather and therefore didn’t become slippery. Decades later, the same innovative ‘Sparta’ grip design is still used for the soles of the brand’s urban hiking boots. For Autumn Winter 17, Bally’s men’s Charls hiking boots feature the ‘Sparta’ grip on a lightweight rubber sole, crafted in shiny waxed calf leather in classic black, providing a sturdy yet chic boot for city-slickers.

Bally’s chicer Medison hiking boot is the lux counterpart to the urban Charls. The boots have the same cemented shoe construction but fixed on a leather sole, which is then injected with rubber in the Sparta formation for grip and durability. Retaining the elegance of a leather sole, this technique of rubber injection was first used by for Bally men’s dress shoes in 2016. The boot is crafted in rich honey calf leather with luxurious burnished finishing.

This season, Bally has also introduced hiking boots for women – an edgy winter option with practical, urban appeal. Gold hiking hooks and a chunky sole provide an elegant, metropolitan counterpart for city girls with a taste for the outdoors. The boot is crafted in plain Jermyn calf leather and available in black. From the steps that took Sir Edmund Hillary and his trusted climbing companion Sherpa Tenzing Norgay to the top of Mount Everest, whatever your adventure, make each step count with Bally boots this season.