The crisis at the Swiss luxury brand Bally is escalating. The 175-year-old company has been under provisional debt restructuring since mid-June and is under the supervision of the Lugano bankruptcy office. The current period runs until October 15, 2026. A trustee is examining whether a restructuring or a composition agreement is possible.
Swiss entrepreneur Roberto Martullo, who had already acquired the Künzli shoe brand, expressed interest in Bally. According to his own statements, he wanted to take over the entire group, including the brand, stores, machinery, and production facilities. However, the US owner, Regent LP, rejected the offer. Martullo remains open to discussions and, should the acquisition go through, intends to resume Swiss shoe production as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, a court in Lugano has halted the planned transfer of the Bally brand to a US company founded only in May. According to media reports, the reason is the suspicion that the valuable brand could be extracted from the company, thereby diminishing the remaining assets to the detriment of creditors. Whether this suspicion will be confirmed remains to be seen.
Bally had already ceased shoe production in Caslano, Ticino. The last 27 production employees lost their jobs. In addition, numerous Swiss stores were closed, including most recently the branch on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse. According to available reports, only the boutique in St. Moritz remains open.
Bally was founded in 1851 and has been owned by the US investment fund Regent LP since August 2024. The company's debts are estimated at around 100 million Swiss francs.
