No offense I don't know why people buy the expensive cases from Apple especially when you can buy other brands from places like Amazon which are much cheaper and just as good and in most cases better.
I have a leather midnight blue case on my iPhone X since launch 3 years ago and it has aged very well. Both the phone and the case survived multiple drops, including the one done by kids. The glass at the back is shattered, so it keeps things in one place. It has few dents on the sides, which are invisible when in case and front glass (without any screen protectors) doesn't have any damages at all, so I would say it protected the phone very well, although I always get Apple Care+ for the peace of mind.
After this experience I do not really mind getting leather care from Apple again. In fact I do not really need any other case. Once you start switching and reading the threads like this, you will spend more money in the end by buying multiple cases, which I never needed. Although I admit something with kickstand would be nice but all cases with kickstands looks either bad or they don't seem to support Magsafe.
Another thing to consider is that people really do have limited options when it comes to cases while pre-ordering the iPhone. Not everyone lives in US or UK. I live in Dubai and the only worth considering 3rd party cases which I could get before getting my iPhone Pro 13 are Spiegen cases and not a full range even.
Maybe you guys remember there was a posh brand from Argentina, maybe still is Vaja or something, I ordered once expensive case for my wife for $135 (Matelasse, Marina color), it didn't age well. The leather was so soft, that it was prone to scratches. Although it looked very nice and quality product, it just disappointed me in the way it was wearing out. $135 down the drain literally after few months of using it.