WITHIN · FIELD GUIDE · Revised November 13, 2026

Guidi boots, explained: the tannery, models and fit

A tannery since 1896 that also makes its own boots. What the model codes mean, why no two pairs match, and how they fit.

By Lucas Bruno

Plate for “Guidi boots, explained: the tannery, models and fit” — PLATE

A tannery since 1896

Guido Guidi, Giovanni Rosellini and Gino Ulivo founded the Conceria Guidi Rosellini in Pescia in 1896. Ruggero Guidi leads the tannery now, and Hypebeast called him Guido's direct descendant in 2020.

The tannery also makes leather for other designers. Ruggero told Hypebeast the family's vegetable tanning method had been refined for over 100 years.

Piece dyed: why no two pairs match

Guidi's shoe pages say each piece is made by hand in Italy and coloured by what it calls piece dyeing. WDLT117's listings say each boot is piece dyed, which gives tonal variations.

Guidi's care note lists what the tanning and dyeing leave behind: uneven tones, marks, veins and colour that comes off. It counts all of these as natural features, not flaws.

Guidi also says its photos are only a general guide, because each pair has its own look. Ask the shop for photos of the pair you will get.

The numbers on the box

Guidi gives each shoe a plain name and a model code. Its back zip boots are the 788Z, and its Palombaro front zip boots are the PL2. Its classic derby is the 992X; WDLT117's classic derby is a different code, the 792Z.

Learn the code, because the names are close. Guidi's own “Front zip boots” are not the PL2 but a different model, the 210. WDLT117 puts the code in its titles, as in its 788Z Back Zip Mid Boots.

In 2020 the manager of a Hong Kong shop that sells Guidi told Hypebeast that most customers collect three zip boots first: the 788Z, the PL2 and the taller 310.

On 13 November 2026 within listed 46 Guidi pieces, all at WDLT117 in Toronto. Here are some of the models, in the listings' own words.

Model	What it is
788Z	Back zip boot with a round toe, a low heel and a leather sole
796ZI	Full grain leather boot with a zip at the heel and a stacked metal heel
NB07	Mid calf boot laced at the front, with a zip at the back
310	Mid calf boot with a front zip and seam detail
PL1	Front zip boot with a rounded toe and a stacked leather heel and sole. The PL1V adds rubber treads
PL2	Zipped boot with an almond toe, a pull tab at the back and a low heel
PL3	Knee length zip boot with a round toe and a low heel
PL06	Chelsea boot with elastic sides and a stacked leather heel
792Z	Derby in horse leather, with a round toe and a low block heel

The leathers

Guidi's pages for the 788Z and the 992X derby name horse full grain leather; leather grades, explained says what full grain means. Its PL2 page names horse reverse leather.

Most of WDLT117's listings do not name the hide, so ask the shop which one a pair is. Its PL1 Ortho is listed in “reverse leather suede” and its 5302N derby in “soft reverse suede”. For those, read how to clean suede.

How Guidi fits

Guidi sells in EU sizes, with half sizes. Its 788Z pages listed EU 40 to 47 for the unisex pair and 35 to 42 for women. On 13 November 2026 the pairs on within ran from EU 35.5 to 45.

Guidi prints a fit line on its shoe pages. The 788Z back zip boot says “Fits one size smaller”. The PL2 and the 992X derby say “Fits true to size”.

Guidi's pages do not say whether “one size smaller” means to size up or down. Check the inside measurements on the listing, or ask the shop, before you choose.

Guidi's size guide puts EU 40 beside UK 7. Its US sizes are a single row that does not say men's or women's, so go by the EU number. Guidi sizes on within has the charts, and designer shoe sizes explains EU, UK and US numbers.

Care, and what can be resoled

Guidi says to dry wet shoes at room temperature, never by direct heat, which can damage the tanning. Fill them with paper towels and change the towels every three hours.

Once they are dry, feed the leather with a neutral cream. Keep the pairs out of strong light and away from radiators and a hot car. Never store them somewhere hot, humid or airless, or in a plastic bag.

Guidi lists a Goodyear welt on the 788Z, the PL2 and the 992X derby, and HBX lists one on the 796V back zip boot. That build lets a cobbler fit a new sole again and again, as long as the upper holds up. The shoe construction guide shows how to spot it.

WDLT117's listings do not say how the soles are attached. Ask before you count on a resole.

What Guidi costs

Guidi prices on within counts the shelf by kind, with the lowest, middle and highest price and the date it was counted.

Two examples from WDLT117, read 13 November 2026: the 788Z Back Zip Mid Boots in white were CAD 2,100, in EU 36 to 39. The Classic Derby 792Z in black was CAD 1,375, in EU 38 and 39.

Guidi on within

Guidi boots, shoes and bags in stock now, each with its price and sizes.

Common questions

Do Guidi boots run small?

It depends on the model: Guidi's page for the 788Z back zip boot says “Fits one size smaller”, and the PL2 page says “Fits true to size”. Guidi does not say whether you should order a size up or a size down, so check the inside measurements on the listing, or ask the shop.

Where are Guidi boots made?

In Italy: every Guidi shoe page we read, and all 46 Guidi listings on within on 13 November 2026, say made in Italy. The company began in 1896 as a tannery in Pescia, Tuscany.

Why does every Guidi boot look different?

Guidi colours its leather by a method it calls piece dyeing, and each pair comes out with its own tones and marks. Guidi counts those marks as natural features, not flaws, and says its own photos are only a general guide.

Can Guidi boots be resoled?

The models Guidi lists with a Goodyear welt, such as the 788Z, the PL2 and the 992X derby, are built so a cobbler can resole them. For other models, ask the shop how the sole is attached.

How do you care for Guidi boots?

Dry them away from direct heat, then feed the leather with a neutral cream, Guidi says. Keep them out of strong light and never store them in a plastic bag.

Sources

Guidi, About Guidi (founding, founders, Pescia, Ruggero Guidi, leather for other designers), read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Back zip boots, model 788Z (unisex: build, leather, fit line, care note, dyeing), read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Back zip boots, model 788Z (women's sizes), read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Palombaro front zip boots, model PL2, read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Classic derby shoes, model 992X, read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Front zip boots, model 210, read 13 November 2026.
Guidi, Size guide, read 13 November 2026.
HBX, Guidi Back Zip Boots, 796V (horse full grain leather, Goodyear welt), read 13 November 2026.
Hypebeast, For the Love of Leather: Inside Guidi's Artisanal Legacy (October 2020), read 13 November 2026.
Wikipedia, Goodyear welt, read 13 November 2026.
within's live shelves, read through the site's public search, read 13 November 2026.

Guidi in stock now, to check against this guide

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