Guidi

The company's location in Pescia places it within a region where tanning traditions date to the Middle Ages, when guilds of tanners and shoemakers operated in Tuscany since the XIV century. This deep historical connection informs Guidi's approach to leatherworking, combining centuries-old techniques with modern refinements.

Guidi was established in 1896 when Guido Guidi partnered with Giovanni Rosellini and Gino Ulivo to create Conceria Guidi Rosellini, a leather tannery in Pescia, Tuscany. The tannery's founding built upon centuries of regional expertise in leather production, as Tuscany had been a center for tanning since medieval times.

The business remained within the Guidi family across four generations, with each generation adding to the accumulated knowledge while maintaining the core vegetable tanning methods that defined the company's approach. This continuity allowed the refinement of techniques over more than a century while preserving traditional processes that might otherwise have been lost to industrialization.

Ruggero Guidi currently runs the tannery and workshop, representing the fourth generation of family leadership. Under his direction, the company has sought to balance respect for traditional methods with selective adoption of technologies that enhance rather than replace handwork.

Guidi employs vegetable tanning methods handed down through Tuscan tradition, a slow and sustainable process that can take weeks to complete. The tanning process begins with rehydrated, hair-free animal hides soaked in tannins derived from organic sources including tree bark and plant galls.

After initial tanning, the hides transfer to rotating drums filled with dye, where the leather absorbs color through extended tumbling. Following dyeing, craftsmen apply finishing touches including waxes and sealants that protect the leather while allowing it to develop patina over time.

This vegetable tanning method produces leather with exceptional texture and suppleness that cannot be achieved through modern chrome tanning. The slow nourishment of the leather creates material with excellent aging characteristics, becoming more beautiful with wear rather than deteriorating.

The traditional approach also offers environmental advantages, as vegetable tannins break down naturally without the heavy metal pollution associated with industrial chrome tanning processes.

Guidi's most distinctive manufacturing characteristic is the object dyeing technique, where color is applied to fully assembled footwear rather than to leather before construction. This approach represents a significant departure from standard bootmaking practice, where leather is dyed before cutting and stitching.

In the object dyeing process, craftsmen construct boots from undyed vegetable-tanned leather, completing all stitching, lasting, and assembly steps. Once construction is complete, the finished boot is submerged in dye, allowing color to penetrate the assembled product as a unified object.

This technique creates unique color variations across different parts of the boot, as thicker areas absorb dye differently than thinner sections, and stitching creates subtle pattern variations in color intensity. The result is a boot where no two pairs are identical, even when made from the same leather and dyed in the same batch.

Object dyeing also allows color to penetrate seams and interior surfaces that would remain uncolored in conventionally constructed footwear, creating visual coherence across all visible leather surfaces.

Each Guidi boot undergoes a complex and entirely manual construction process, from leather selection through final finishing. Craftsmen hand-select hides from the tannery, examining each skin for characteristics suited to specific boot styles.

After cutting, skilled workers hand-stitch upper components using techniques that accommodate the unique properties of vegetable-tanned leather. The construction process requires adjustments based on each hide's individual characteristics, as natural leather varies in thickness, texture, and flexibility.

Following upper assembly, lasts shape the boots before sole attachment. After completing construction, each boot receives individual numbering, creating a permanent record of its place in the workshop's production. Craftsmen then hand-check and hand-finish every pair, addressing any imperfections and ensuring quality standards.

The workshop's approach emphasizes individual attention to each boot rather than standardized production processes. This artisanal method results in longer production times but allows craftsmen to respond to the unique characteristics of each piece rather than forcing materials into predetermined standards.

Guidi's product philosophy centers on creating boots and leather goods that improve with age and wear. The vegetable-tanned leather and object-dyeing techniques produce items that develop rich patina over time, with color and texture evolving through use.

This approach stands in contrast to fashion industry emphasis on pristine newness, instead celebrating the marks and changes that come from wearing boots regularly. Scratches, scuffs, and color variations that might be considered damage in conventional footwear become valued characteristics that document the boot's history with its owner.

The company positions its products for customers who appreciate craftsmanship, natural materials, and the aesthetic of well-worn leather. This audience values the story each boot tells through its patina rather than seeking to maintain showroom appearance indefinitely.

Under Ruggero Guidi's leadership, the company maintains its commitment to traditional vegetable tanning while incorporating select modern technologies. The balance between heritage and innovation allows the tannery to meet contemporary demand while preserving the slow, careful processes that define Guidi leather.

The company produces boots, shoes, bags, and various leather accessories, all characterized by the distinctive Guidi aesthetic of soft, organic forms and rich leather textures. Production remains deliberately limited by the constraints of handwork and the time required for proper vegetable tanning.

Guidi products are distributed through select retailers worldwide who understand and can communicate the company's approach to customers. This selective distribution maintains brand positioning while reaching an international audience of enthusiasts who appreciate artisanal leather goods.