http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2016PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY. ILLUSTRATION: PING ZHU
S
ometimes there are well-kept secrets
in fashion hiding in plain sight. One
of these has got to be Bally, the Swiss
company you will certainly have heard of but,
I’m willing to bet, don’t know much about.
Dinner party fact one: in collaboration
with Nasa, Bally made the soles of the boots
that Neil Armstrong wore when he made thatsmall step and giant leap on the moon.
Dinner party fact two: Bally made the
footwear that Sherpa Tenzing Norgay wore,
in 1953, when he became one of the first two
men to scale Everest, with Edmund Hillary
(in Bally Reindeer-Himalaya boots).
Bally was founded in 1851 in north-west
Switzerland, producing hand-made shoes and,
by the late 19th century, had
stores in Paris and London,
as well as in South America and
China. It’s still hand-crafting
shoes and my current favourites
are the driving shoes in its new
Pilot collection. Made in Italy,
with a tubular construction,
these have a subtle raised vamp
seam and are available in grained
calf leather or suede, with
elegant, understated details such
as Bally’s house stripe webbing.
Comfort is essential in
a driver and the Bally Pilot shoe
has padded insoles, which give
the wearer extra protection
against the elements but are
light on the feet. Equally
important is traction: the sole
has enhanced toe and heel
sections, where control is
essential, and these utilise Bally’s
signature three-pointed star grip.
This last detail is one of those
things men can get very nerdy
about. Originally made from
Goodyear rubber and featuring
a three-pointed design,
the Sparta sole pattern was
developed to give you grip in all
directions on icy surfaces. On
the Pilot Driver, this means you’ve
got hold, which is, of course,
good news should you be on the
moving deck of a sailing boat.
Bally Pearce driving shoe,
£270, bally.co.ukSTYLISH DECK
SHOES FOR MEN:
boatinternational.
#com/best-deck-shoesPerhaps the greatest luxury
of owning a superyacht is
the freedom to explore the
world at your own pace.
This spring Linley celebrates
four iconic and far-flung
destinations – Doha, Sydney,
Dubai and London (above)- with its new Skyline boxes.
Available as jewellery
boxes or humidors, Linley’s
intricate marquetry
techniques are used to
depict each city’s most
famous landmarks in vivid
colour against a dark walnut
backdrop. Engrave the
sterling silver escutcheon
with the initials of the
globetrotter in your life for
a gift they won’t forget.
Linley Skyline box, £4,500,
davidlinley.com
What’s on the box?
Four distinctive skylines grace
these beautiful Linley creationsBOAT LIFE
Get a grip
Bally has shod some history-making travellers,
says Peter Howarth. And it’s still striding on