While some manufacturers might hate to hear this because it means they won't sell as many shoes, the Ferragamo family takes pride in their reputation. It's a series of events that come together. The craftsmanship goes back not just centuries, but millennia. It's also the cows. Think about it.
Cows live outside all the time, in all kinds of weather.
At the Ferragamo headquarters in Florence, there is an entire division devoted to preparing the leather to be made into shoes, bags, belts and clothing. The hides arrive in the shape of, well, cowhides. A machine can't achieve the perfect tension. A machine also can't spot imperfections. He added that the tanners often get upset with the family because they reject so many hides.