Bally: The Underrated Icon of Hip-Hop and Sneaker Culture
“Bally shoes, Gucci sneakers, Pharrell’s a Pharaoh peep the features” - Nas
When we talk about shoes that are staples in Hip-hop culture a few brands generally pop up.
Puma, Adidas, Nike, and Reebok usually top the list, but other brands are on that list too.
In fact, there’s a high-end sneaker that doesn’t get talked about often (likely because of the price point), but it has a strong history within the culture.
It’s one of the oldest fashion brands in the world, and that shoe is none other than…
BALLY.
Bally is one of those brands that has stood the test of time much like the Italian fashion houses held in high esteem.
They had a moment in the mid-80s and early 90s, but to this day you can still see their shoes on the feet of up-and-coming rappers who also refer to them in their songs.
With this being published a few days before Hip-hop’s birthday, it feels like a good time to talk about this almost-forgotten part of its history.
That said, let’s get into it.
IN 1851…
Carl Franz Bally started Bally in Zurich Switzerland, with the aim of creating a high-end fashion house.
According to the Bally website, it began as a family-run ribbon factory in Schönenwerd before its industrialized processes helped it reach new heights.
Eventually, after World War II, Bally experienced significant growth — a product of it being a symbol of Swiss luxury and quality.
How Bally Became Popular
"I knew n***** was gettin’ money, and I knew they were selling drugs. I knew they was fly as hell—they had hundred-and-fifty-dollar Ballys on and bubble gooses and sheepskins'” - Notorious B.I.G.
High fashion has always been a staple of Hip-hop culture and Bally was no exception.
In the 80s, as Hip-hop culture began to permeate on the East Coast, the Hustlers who wore European fashion also brought their affinities into the space.
More to the point, the first place to start rocking Bally’s was likely none other than…
New York.
“They didn’t just start it today because it’s a cool thing to do — it goes all the way back to the ‘80s” - Swizz Beats, The Hollywood Reporter
Bally’s are synonymous with New York much in the same way that Uptowns and Timberlands are.
The Bally Competition (seen below) became a shoe of choice for fashionistas along with some of the other brands mentioned earlier.
They were a status symbol for hustlas too, and as such, they became fashion symbols for Hip-hop artists in the 80s.
The popularity of Bally shoes in a lot of respects is credited to Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew who can be seen rocking them on his 1986 single “Oh My God.”
Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew also show High-top Bally sneakers in the video for their single “All the Way to Heaven,” which featured a showdown between Bally and the Adidas Stan Smith (another Hip-hop staple).1
Moreover, Slick Rick, a fashion icon in his own right, also who wore red Bally’s on the cover of his classic debut album “The Great Adventures of Slick Rick” — which led to the popularity of that particular SKU as well.
These two co-signs help solidify Bally’s influence in New York, and paved the way for 90s artists like Nas, and Biggie Smalls to start rocking them.
But Bally’s growth didn’t stop there.
Louisiana Caught The Bally Bug
Bally’s were already gaining popularity in New York, but a different model of the shoe began to catch steam in the South, and specifically in New Orleans.
The Bally Animal
The brand originally introduced the animal in 1991 in celebration of the 700th year of the Federation of Switzerland, and like many brands, its popularity was fueled by Hip-hop.
In fact, a song by New Orleans rapper ‘Bust Down"‘ entitled “Putcha Bally’s On” helped shine a light on the brands popularity.
“Putcha Ballys On” led to the shoe routinely selling out in New Orleans, with shoe stores having to request pairs from other states just to satisfy the demand in New orleans.
The Revival
Although Bally never experienced the financial issues of its other high fashion counterparts, its ties to Hip-hop, and pop culture did weaken over time.
However, around 2017, it became clear that the brand was poised for a comeback, and with its history in fashion and Hip-hop roots in tow, they started making moves to bring their shoes back into the cultural zeitgeist.
Rhuigi Villaseñor becomes Creative Director
As part of the revival of Bally, the brand hired the popular designer Rhuigi Villaseñor, creator of the very popular streetwear brand Rhude, as creative director for Bally.
Although his time with the brand was short, it signaled a new direction for the company, and the two seasons of work they completed together helped reenergize the brand in a new way.
The J. Cole Collection
In 2015, J. Cole had just released his monumental album 2014 Forest Hill Drives, and on the heels of that announced a colla with Bally that included shoes and backpacks.
Although it’s not available on their site any longer, the pieces are up for resale on various sites (for a higher markup, of course)
Swizz Beatz x The Bally Collective
According to The Wall Street Journal, Swizz Beatz ran across the CEO of Bally Frédéric de Narp at a party, and after hitting it off the two struck up a friendship which ultimately led to a collab in 2017.
This collaboration was part of Bally's broader strategy to rejuvenate the brand and appeal to a younger, fashion-forward audience, particularly those influenced by hip-hop culture.
The Collab included 39 pieces ranging from slip-on shoes to sweaters, all designed by Ricardo Cavolo, who Swizz is a fan.
The Bally Animal Returned In 2018
Harkening back to their New Orleans roots, and focusing on one of their most popular SKUs ever, the Bally team also did a re-release of their Animal silhouette.
To announce the collection they produced a content piece created in partnership with Stefano Colferai.
According to Yahoo, 90% of the sales from the Animal restock took place in Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and Texas. 20% came solely from New Orleans — the only location where Bally gave stock to a brick & mortar location.
EPILOGUE
Bally has been for almost 200 years with over 500 stores so they’re clearly here to stay. If you check their socials and look online you’ll see that they’re still hosting events during fashion week and more.
A huge part of their success is rooted in the fact that they never compromised their quality, and because of that they don’t have to do what other brands are doing to stay afloat.
Not gonna lie, they’re still a bit out of my price range, but at some point I’ll have to get a pair for the nostalgia.
That said, ask someone who grew up in that era about them when you see them. I guarantee you’ll be in for a treat.
One.
Good text and nice record and facts... I believed in returning with Rhuigi it's a shame.