Samba sizes compared: an 11.5 sits 10% over the floor, an 11 sits 45%
Sizes 10.5 and 11.5 are each the cheapest size for five pairs, but a 10.5 is also the priciest size for five.
By Denis KataevFounder & Editor
On a Samba, a size 11.5 has the smallest typical markup over the pair's cheapest size, 10%, and a size 11 has the biggest, 45%. I looked at twenty of the most-listed men's Sambas in my nightly checks, each with prices in at least eight sizes from 8 to 12. The whole line is in the Samba catalog.
Here is what the premium means. For each pair I find its cheapest size, then see how much more every other size costs. A premium of 10% for an 11.5 means that on a typical pair, an 11.5 costs that much more than the cheapest size of that same pair. The lower the number, the closer your size sits to the floor. These are medians, so a single pair can look very different.
Size by size
- Size 11.5: the lowest typical premium, 10%. It is the cheapest size on five pairs and the priciest on just one.
- Size 9: the second-lowest typical premium, 17%.
- Size 10.5: a coin flip. It is the cheapest size on five pairs and the priciest on five, with a typical premium of 32%.
- Size 11: the highest typical premium, 45%. It is not the cheapest size on any pair and the priciest on three.
- Size 12: the priciest size on five pairs, tied with the 10.5, with a typical premium of 38%.
When two sizes tie on a pair, I count both.
Examples
Three Wales Bonner pairs show how wide the spread can get, and every listed size on all three sells over retail.
The Wales Bonner x Samba “Cream White” is cheapest in a 10.5 at $275, $75 over its $200 retail. A size 9 asks $1,872, which is one size, not the rule for this pair.
The Wales Bonner x Samba “Black” starts at $495 in a 9.5. Its priciest size is a 10.5 at $1,500, and a size 11 has no listing right now.
The Wales Bonner x Samba “Leopard” follows the typical pattern: a size 11.5 is its cheapest at $480, while a size 8 costs $1,332.
If you can wear an 11.5, start there. If you wear an 11, check the 10.5 and 11.5 of the same pair before you pay up. Every current listing is on the size 11.5 page.
Prices from our Nov 13, 2026 check: the lowest price of a new pair with the original box, by US size. The model page always shows the latest prices.
