Much more attention has been paid to the connection between a player's guitar and amplifier (the cable) than to the connection between the player and the guitar, but that makes little sense.  The direct connection from the player to the instrument is the guitar strap, and other than the guitar, no single piece of gear says more about the player or promotes comfortable playing more than the strap.  It must be comfortable, secure the instrument, and be of the proper length. Further, it can make a visual statement about who the player is, and what he or she cares about. 

 There are many different types of leather guitar straps which range in quality from very poor, to something that will last for many years.  Many of the straps for sale at music stores are made from thin, lower quality grades of leather, or multiple thin layers sewn together.  They are designed to be inexpensive to mass produce and can be sold at a low price while still making a profit for the factory, the distributors, and the retailers.

Quality leather is usually purchased by the "side".  A side of leather is half of a cowhide and is normally about 22-24 square feet of leather. Custom, hand made straps, like those from me or another experienced  leather craftsman are made from "sides" of leather individually chosen for their quality, weight, color, and other characteristics which might make them perfect for an individual project.  The finished strap may  be plain, or highly decorated, but it will be of a quality rarely found in most music stores.  This type of hand chosen leather will be far better suited to reflect the pride you have in your instrument than a generic, factory-made strap will. 

In general, I find that straps made from heavy weight Latigo, or chrome tanned, or vegetable tanned top grain leather of sufficient weight (thickness) will make fine, long lasting, comfortable straps. Some of my most durable straps are made from 8-10 oz. black latigo leather.  I have used one of these straps for twenty years, and it is still in remarkable functional condition.