This publication tells the story of the Bally company between 1850 and 1950: one hundred years of events outlining the birth and development of footwear design that marked progress in terms of daily comfort, fashion and elegance. Bally footwear is not only about standards of physical well being, it is also a means of expression in terms of fashion and society. The publication presents 100 of these objects of desire that have so powerfully fascinated and seduced people over almost two centuries of history. The images tell of the development of models from the end of the nineteenth century – the period in which Bally firmly launched itself on the international market – to the beginning of the 1960s, when the more classic style of life was abandoned in favour of a faster consumerist era.“Bally Since 1851”, therefore presents the development of a prestigious period, in which the ability to create design merged with strong industrial entrepreneurial skills: this is what distinguishes the company at an international level. Fabrics, embroidery, colours, weaving and variations in hundreds of shoes discerningly selected by the Bally Museum of Zurich, reveal the special quality of these fascinating objects, causing one to stop and reflect on how it is possible today to enjoy what is a fundamental principle in consciousness and history: walking. Bally gave life to all this in 1851 and since then has come a long way, as it continues to do today.