Are Italian leather better for shoes?
When you hear someone say: ‘Italian leather shoes’ you immediately think about quality, right? We’ve always learned that Italian leather is better than all other forms of leather, but why is that? Read along and find out.
When you enter an expensive shoe store you probably see tailor made products, handsewn broideries – and Italian leather. Of course the leather is Italian. If a leather bag, a pair of shoes or a jacket is marketed as a quality product – it’s always made of leather imported from Italy, or, even better, the full production process has taken place in Italy. That way the price really surges through the roof.
Why are Italian leather the best for shoes?
First and foremost, Italy is excellent fashion-makers. Italy is where many high-end brands were born; Gucci, Prada, Versace. The list is long. Italian leather is like a croissant from a French patisserie, cashmere wool from Pakistan and silk from China. Italians simply excel in leatherware because they have a long history of creating exactly that.
It’s not only Italy’s fashionable history which makes the country the leading star in the leather industry. The quality simply is better. Traditional Italian leather has been dyed with natural colors rather than chemicals. The process with natural extracts is way more troublesome and takes time since it’s done in hand – not using machines in a grand factory. As a matter of fact, it can take up to two months to reach the right color if you dye the leather the natural way. In other countries we mostly do it the easy way resulting in larger quantities, which can be bought cheaply – but the quality is poor.
However, the natural dye is not the only reason why Italian craftsmen have a superior position in creating quality leather goods. Throughout centuries Italy has worked with processing leather and family businesses have gone from son to son, from generation to generation. For each generation the development has advanced. Today Italian craftsmen excel at their craftsmanship. There’s no doubt that their family secrets, which have been kept alive for past centuries – and will be kept alive for centuries to come – makes Italy world leaders in leather goods. Everybody wants their Ieather – simply because their leather is better than the products other countries produce.
How expensive is Italian quality leather?
Expensive. If you want the best quality, you’ll have to pay up. You can’t just assume that the leather’s quality is top notch just because the sole stamp says: ‘Made in Italy’. Just like croissants don’t automatically taste better when bought in Paris, Italian leather isn’t automatically better because it’s made in Italy. Only 8-10% of all leather is made ‘the right way’ in relation to the quality so you have to do your research. Look online and ask the salesman for information: How has the leather been processed, where is it made and how durable is it?
When you’ve found the right pair of shoes in the perfect quality, then save up. It’s going to cost you – but in the end you probably won’t regret investing in feeling comfortable in your own shoes.
