Cute Bally sandals - 70s or 80s?

Midge

Midge

Super Moderator
Staff member
Just came back from my Saturday shopping, with the usual stop at the Caritas shop.

After looking for pretty, wearable summer sandals since last year and being completely frustrated by whatever I could find at the shoe shops - I found the cutest vintage sandals today!

They're Bally, unworn and all leather. And they fit :wub: . Anyway, I was wondering about dating them, just out of curiosity. Late 70s? Or already 80s? What would you say? What's throwing me a bit is the use of their "old" logo on the soles, but I guess they might have been using older material that was still around with the old logo? The new one like on the label inside has been in use since somewhere in the 70s I think.

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Karin
 
You have it on the nose - not earlier than 78 and not later than 82. The old logo is odd - I am not sure when they switched over but it was sometime around then. If you found out when the new logo was adopted that would secure a date. The soles are stamped with each pair made, so they aren't left over stock.
 
Joules, that's what I keep telling to everybody who collects something :D.

Thanks for your advice everybody! Even if I wear things myself and I don't care how much it's worth in terms of money, I like to verify the dating on my stuff. Just being a little nerdy - and still learning.

I have been trying out before to find out when the logo changed, but got nowhere. I come across vintage Bally shoes regularly, and I always try them on if they look good.

I just went back to my other pair of Ballys that I showed here last year. These were already very slightly worn, and you know what - taking a closer look at the soles, I can just make out the remnants of the same old logo! I really never noticed before! But then it makes sense, as they go into about the same period as the sandals.

Karin
 
The family sold off the company in 1977 and I would venture to guess that the logo was changed fairly soon thereafter by the new owners. So you are probably looking at c. 1977-78 with these. I originally said not pre 1978 because of the Wedgwood blue colour, which was popular 1978 (H&R Rayne did Wedgwood blue sandals in 1978), and the heel shape which is a bit too triangular and spikey for pre 1978. However I doubt the new owners changed the logo immeadiately - probably within the year though, so they could be spring/summer 1978.
 
Oh yes, good point - I didn't think about who was involved in that. That's where it get's to the part of their history that I sort of do know of, and remember it being talked about later when these people made the news again. They sold to Werner K. Rey in 1977 - the guy is infamous to say the least, he was later prosecuted for criminal dealings and I remember that from the news. He didn't hang on to the company long though and sold them on to Oerlikon Buehrle (nowadays OC Oerlikon), which had started as an armaments factory - and actually has it's home, as the name says, in Oerlikon, a former suburb north of Zurich (been incorporated in 1938), and which is where I live. This place wouldn't be what it is now if Mr. Buehrle hadn't decided to build his factories on an empty stretch of land here...

Karin
 
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