This is a kind of faux leather, not real leather strip. It's made up of several different layers of "stuff" that total about 0.14 inches thick and about 2.25 inches wide. From afar I think it looks like real leather but I don't know how long it will last. It has a dull, matte look that needs a polish, but I'm not sure shoe polish will work on this stuff. Embossed design is ok. The end you bend to adjust the length doesn't want to lay very flat, but that can change over time. This and the design of the buckle (by the same company) ensure that one end of the buckle sticks out far and the other end is snug against the belt, which looks a bit odd on closer inspection. other belts for comparison but I think I will keep looking for a good genuine leather belt. Three stars because it's more or less as described and functional but no better than expected, it's not real leather and it looks cheap.