Scuola del Cuoio

A bit out of the way, but that makes it all the better. Location is quaint and quiet. Fun to stick your head in past the doorways and see all the students at work. Walked out with two jackets, a wallet, and a little clutch. After the VAT refund at the airport, paid far less than even a single jacket would have cost back in the US (I think it was 500 or 600 Euro).
Anyway, totally worth a visit.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a school – this place is legit. It’s the real deal! If you’ve got money to burn and a hankering for some high-​quality, well-​made leather goods, look past all those shops in the touristy areas of Florence and make your way straight to this school that teaches this Italian craft to the utmost highest standards. All the touristy shops around will be aggressive in their tactics to try and keep you from getting there, but keep your head down and keep going – you’re almost there! This place is surprisingly quiet, without so many tourists. Browse through a variety of leather goods – everything from key chains, wallets, handbags, to jackets, briefcases and anything in between. Items in the glass displays are also for sale. The quality is really quite excellent. You can tell the students have a high expectation: perfection. You can see some of the student areas where they work on their projects. There’s a side courtyard entrance behind the church, so you can browse for free.

Got a custom made leather jacket they took my dimensions and in 2 months will get my jacket
Awsome quality my wife also got a off the rack jacket awsome quality good prices
A custom tailored jacket for 450 euro is awsome

If you’re looking for actual Italian leather and not the mediocre San Lorenzo market leather goods, come here! High quality leather.
A nice variety of leather goods from small accessories like bracelets to keychains to wallets for men and women, handbags, purses, travel luggage and even briefcases.
The items in the glass displays are for sale too so be sure to ask the sales associates if you want to take a look.
Great service — everyone was so friendly and the one saleswoman patiently helped me pick a bag and two wallets. Also, there is a free initial embroidery for any of your purchases that will be done by the students of the leather school. I let the students choose the thread of their choice and all three embroideries came out beautifully.

first ever 5 star, and rightfully so. What more can they improve? haha
As part of the tour, this was actually one of the least appreciated when I first heard about the itinerary. after all, eating is the focus.
But watching how the leather craftsmanship in front of your eyes, really brought an appreciation. Now I know how that gold seal or engraving into leather products are made.
Needless to say, I whipped out the cash quite easily, my eyes locked on this amazing weave, super soft lamb skin suit-​wallet for just $ 128 euro lol, something I wouldnt spend anymore back home but to get your initials at this famous place, why not.
plus the tax back for tourists helps too :)
great selection for jackets too. already at my limit so good excuse lol, but if there was more time (we were there way too long!) & service for men’s shoes, I wouldve been tempted!
clean washrooms in back.

Italy is known for their leather and it was a nice change of pace to visit the School of Leather. You can see the passion behind the craft here, even from the salespeople in the gift shops. We came by here to just check out the leather goods, and the salesperson helping out in the leather women’s coat was so friendly. No hassling customers or anything. I ended up just picking up a few cute leather coin purses for about 6.50 Euro each.
This is the place to pick up legit and high quality leather goods. Some of the items are a little on the pricier side, but definitely worth it.

I refused to buy crappy leather from places near the Duomo so I came here. They have a cool selection of leather items, from handbags to bookmarks.
We walked out with a belt and a wallet and were so pleasantly surprised that one of the students embedded our initials in each item! Such a nice touch. It’s also really interesting watching the students work on their projects.

A surprisingly non-​touristy leather store (and school) in a very touristy area. All the nearby shops will aggressively try to sell you junk, but if you find your way to this oasis no one will bother you and you can browse their goods at your leisure while watching artisans make handcrafted leather goods. Their men’s shoes looked great and I almost bought a jacket, but didn’t pull the trigger and I’m sort of regretting it.
The school can be accessed through the Church of Santa Croce, which has an entry fee or if you can find the dedicated side entrance you can get into the shop without charge (the school is technically in the back of the church). In addition to selling leather goods they offer leather working classes ranging from a half-​day to 6 months duration.

No trip is complete without stopping in at the School to get a new belt.
Next to Santa Croce.

With all the leather shops in Florence, it can be hard to tell the good from the very good (and the blatantly awful market stalls). Scuola was recommended by our hotel and seemed to be pretty solid as per the internets. They have a line of products that come in various leathers and colors. Bring cash, or ask about tax free to get the prices down.