Patina is the point
Full grain brown leather darkens where hands touch it and lightens where it flexes. That contrast is what people mean by character, and it is the main reason to choose brown over black.
Pairing, briefly
The old rule about matching bag to shoes has relaxed, but staying within the same family still looks deliberate. Tan with navy is safe. Very dark brown reads almost as formal as black.
Care
Neutral cream, never a colored polish, which can blotch unevenly on brown. Keep it away from direct sun, which fades brown far faster than black.
