I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening of the newest exhibit at Ballyana, "Bally Monsieur," a section of the museum/archive devoted to men's shoes. If you've ever heard of the luxury brand Bally, little Schönenwerd in Switzerland is where it all started back in the mid 1800s. At one point, Bally was the largest producer of shoes in the world! Like so many such brands, it's now in the hands of a conglomerate/mogul - but the history remains.
The Ballyana not only has a remarkable collection of shoemaking machinery that all still seem to work, it also has an impressive gallery of exhibits that explain the history of the brand and the process of shoemaking. For anyone doing research, they also have an archive of really detailed records covering 150 years of company operations.
Note: The museum/archive is located at the back of a light industrial park.
Exhibits are only in German. If that's an obstacle, you may want to bring someone along or call ahead and ask if they have a docent who speaks English read more