Leonardo Shoes

LOVE this place! The leather is soft like butter and the quality amazing! The people are kind, fun, and friendly. Don’t waste your time buying silly cheap souvenirs. Get quality Italian boots and a jacket to make yourself feel like royalty!

Shoes were beautiful but salesman was SO rude. Could never justify buying shoes from somewhere where the workers are so completely judgmental.

I spent 16 days touring and walking all over Italy. We started in Como and from there we went to Bellagio, Verona, Venice, Montecatini, Lucca, Florence, Siena, Pompeii, all over Rome, Sorrento, the island of Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Throughout the trip we walked nearly 150 miles and up countless steps of marble. So what better way to reward oneself? To buy an exquisite pair of hand made shoes of course, ‘Made in Florence, Italy’!
Leonardo Shoes has a wide selection of shoes and the sales lady was eager and very polite. The first pair that I picked out and tried on were a little stiff. The sales lady then brought out a different pair that she picked out. Naturally, a little more expensive. But as soon as I put them on, I knew… these were the ones for me. Thanks to her, I ended up taking home a piece of Italy that will inevitably last a long time and help remind me of my great trip in that amazing country of Italy.

We had a terrific experience shopping at Leonardo Shoes, with my daughter purchasing a pair in that visit, and then me following up and purchasing a second pair to be custom made, via email. The quality, workmanship, and style of the shoes is world class. The service (both in person and via the internet) was impeccable — friendly and knowledgable, with excellent language skills. The prices are really good for this level of quality, too! This was the highlight of our shopping in our 10 days in Italy!

Leonardo worked with me via the next to custom make two pairs of brogues. I did not make it easy for him and he showed remarkable patience. Better yet, the shoes have arrived and they are beautiful. The most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned!

Terrible experience — rude service
I read the reviews for Leonardo and was excited to go shop for a nice pair of oxfords. When I found a pair of oxfords I wanted to try on — I asked the salesman for a size 45 or 46 (I wear an 11.5 in American sizes based on measurements from Nordstrom, Saks, etc.). He rolled his eyes and gave me that look, «45 or 46?» he asked. I told him that was what I wore in American sizes, but I would try whatever size he recommended. He told me he would bring me the size I needed (in this case a 43). He told me my feet were swollen from walking around (I had only walked 3 blocks from my hotel). But shoes vary greatly, and I had no problem trying on the 43.
They were too small. He kept telling me they were fine and kept pushing at a point where he thought my toe was. I told him my toe extended beyond there and pushed in at a higher point on the toe. Instead of just letting me try a 44, he had me try on another style in size 43 to prove his point (that I did not like, and I had already told him that when he suggested it earlier). He grew agitated and angry, and started arguing with me over the size (why not just let me try a 44?), so I told him I was going to think about the shoes and started to leave. He became aggressive and told me he had been selling shoes for 17 years, I told him I had been wearing shoes for 54 and obviously knew my feet better than he did. He told me Americans had no idea what Italian shoes were, that all we wore was cheap junk from China. My mouth was agape, not to mention the 5 pairs of Ferragamos, 3 pairs of Fratelli Rossettis, and the couple pairs of Bruno Maglis sitting in my closet would beg to differ (along with JM Westons, Magnannis, etc.). I left and will certainly not go back.
I really LOVE shoes, especially nice shoes, but this was certainly not the place for me. I did like the pair of oxfords I had picked out a lot, but wasn’t thrilled with Leonard’s overall inventory. I’ll stick to the better Italian brands, respectable service, and pay the premium in price.

Met the designer for most of the shoes in the shop. Friendly staff and great selection of shoes. They helped me pick two great pairs of shoes. I would recommend everyone check out Leonardo’s.

What a great shoe store. I have a difficult foot to fit (size 13 narrow) and the salesman never batted an eye. («We can fit up to size 16!») He had several options for me and we must have tried on six different but similar pairs of shoes. All of their shoes are proudly made in Italy. The leather is very soft and they feel great. Much better than any other shoes I have.
They also sell on line. The salesman told me when I needed a new pair, to just send them a picture of the old ones and they would match them for me.
I look forward to wearing these shoes for a very long time. Great shop. Great service. I’m taking my son back tomorrow to get him some shoes as well.

Awesome shoes!

Awesome selection of handmade boots at reasonable prices. Got to meet the man himself and it’s obvious he takes pride in his work. Walked out the door with a pair of gun metal colored boots and have already gotten a ton of compliments. Thanks, Leonardo!

When in Florence, put Leonardo on your list! A great selection of well made shoes. All designed by the owner and hand made in Italy.

I just visited there today! The service was lovely, and though I tried my best at Italian, the salespeople spoke English (and I think maybe a few other languages?) very well. I bought a very nice pair of dark brown leather riding-​style boots. I have unusually wide feet, and the salesman did his best to find me boots that fit me in the style I wanted. It was a great experience, and I’ll definitely go back for more before my study abroad semester is over. They have a student discount, too!

On a quaint little street just a few feet from piazza signoria. Their shoes are absolutely amazing. I ended up buying 4 pair of boots! This was over 5 years ago and I still have them. I even order some online each season and they ship them to california. The service is great and the people who work there are so nice and knowledgable They are very helpful and good customer service is hard to find in Italy. This last time when I was there I had them make me one of their custom made shoes. I personalized it by having my initials stamped in the leather! Definately a must see/​must visit in Florence.

Oh how I wish I lived closer. This place is a shoe heaven. My sister and I found this place by mistake, lost in Florence… but I am so glad we got a chance to visit it.
:) When you first walk in, you don’t know where to look. All the beautiful, exquisite shoes stunningly and carefully displayed. Perfect Lighting. The smell off leather envelops you in a warm hug. And you get a little confused, on what you want. I felt like a little kid in a candy shop, the possibilities were endless. We went there in the early spring, but the shop carried a variety of selection. Anything from boots, flats, stilettos, sandals…
The owner of the shop is very knowledgeable, and sometimes even knows your foot better than you do yourself. For me he recommended these soft leather, over the knee, small heel boots, that I did not notice at first. He said it doesn’t hurt to try on one more pair, and I am so glad I did. It not only fit perfectly, but my feet felt wonderful. I did not even notice the heel since the rubber bottom made the shoe fit and feel so comfortable. The owner is friendly, and makes you feel at home in his shop. And can answer any questions regarding shoes…
The prices are great, especially with the quality you get, it’s a steal. A must visit if you are in Florence.
I still get compliments from strangers whenever I wear my boots, and it’s been over 3 years since I purchased them. They still look new. And I love the fact that they are so versatile, you can wear them with jeans or a dress, pull them up over the knee or push down to mid calf.
Thank you!

A very nice, knowledgable salesman helped my dad and I buy a new pair of shoes each! He had quite a knack with feet, and was able to divine that one of my dad’s feet was slightly taller than the other just from the way his shoe tied. He knew just what kinds of shoes would be comfortable!
A nice shop, rather cheap prices for shoes in Florence (but not sketchy like a lot of the places here), and a selection that is rather broad for the size of the shop. It seems to be good for men’s shoes in particular.

I recently visited Florence and was on the hunt for some good, leather boots while I was there. Florence is suppose to be known as «the place» for good leather, so I decided to make it my mission to find some there. I stumbled across Leonardo Shoes while there and saw they had a TON of boots. Keep in mind, I was there in May… not exactly boot season. They had a ton of shoes for men and women as well, but I was there for boots. I ended up buying 2 pairs — 1) Basic black riding boots that can be worn several ways and 2) a pair of combat style lace, up boots that are more rocker chic than combat.
Service was fabulous — I worked with a woman there, I think her name might have been Kate? Could be completely wrong on that. Dark hair, super friendly and helpful.
The boots were moderately priced — she gave me a small discount. They didn’t do the VAT refund stuff, but the prices were decent enough I didn’t care.
The leather is BUTTERY soft — amazingly nice leather. I wore one pair for the first time recently and they were probably the most comfy boots I’ve worn. No break-​in needed. Awesome, awesome boots. LOVE!
Check out this place if you ever go to Florence, Italy!