The Samba is worn everywhere, from café terraces to offices. So I have a question of style: how do you wear it elegantly without falling into a uniform?
And, before style, two questions keep coming up in the rep threads: which size to choose, and what the suede should look like. I’d be glad to read your views.
To compare sizing with the Spezial and the Gazelle: Samba, Spezial or Gazelle sizing.
Related threads: Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 on feet: true to size, slim shape and the heel flap, Margiela GATs on feet: why “don’t size down” comes up, and what to wear them with, Jordan 4 on feet: jeans, cargos or shorts, and how the toe box looks once worn.
Sizing first, because it’s honestly confusing. The reports conflict:
- In rep threads, several people say TTS works if your feet are narrow or regular, and wide feet should go half up.
- In retail Samba threads, many people say the opposite: Sambas run big and they went half down.
So the community is literally split in both directions. 
That fits the shape: the Samba is long and narrow. If you size by length, you find it big. If you size by width, you find it tight. So: measure foot length and width, then decide.
So a narrow foot could go down, and a wide foot stay or go up? That’s quite logical: as with a shirt, you choose the shoulders first and the length follows.
Materials. Recurring complaints across rep Samba reviews:
- Suede thin or low-grade-feeling. Noticeable.
- Suede flat and not fuzzy, or off-colour versus retail. Noticeable.
- Weak heel support. Noticeable in wear, invisible in QC.
- Fading after wear. Can’t judge from QC.
Positive reviews exist too, praising shape, stitching and materials. It’s batch- and run-dependent.
And how do you judge suede from photos? Under warehouse lighting it always looks the same to me.
You mostly can’t. Ask for a close-up at a low angle. Good suede shows nap texture and a slight shadow. Flat suede reads like printed felt.
And please waterproof them right after they arrive. Thin suede fades and picks up stains faster. A suede spray, two thin coats, letting it dry in between. Then raise the nap with a crepe brush.
Styling side: wide-leg trousers or straight denim with a slight break. Skinny jeans plus Sambas is a look that’s past its peak. Let the trouser hem touch the shoe. 
Let me pull it all together, because you’ve all been perfect:
Size
- Measure foot length and width.
- Narrow, long feet: many go half a size down (especially in the retail threads).
- Regular feet: your usual size (TTS) is the most common advice on the rep side.
- Wide feet: stay at your size or go half a size up. The shape is narrow at the front.
Suede (QC check)
- Ask for a close-up photo in raking light.
- Good sign: texture, a slight nap, a colour close to retail.
- Bad sign: a flat, “printed felt” look.
If you have a pair, post a close-up of the T-toe in raking light: that’s where the texture of the suede shows.
Care from day one
- Suede waterproofer, two thin coats.
- Crepe brush to keep the nap.
Style (so you don’t look like a uniform)
- Straight or wide trousers with a slight break on the shoe.
- Visible socks matched to one colour of the shoe (gum, stripes or suede).
- Only one “trend” piece per outfit: if it’s the Sambas, the rest stays understated, like a trench coat over a Breton top.
What about you, classic black Samba or a colourway that takes a risk?
That sizing breakdown finally makes the “both directions” thing make sense. Measure width, not just length. 
“One trend piece per fit” is the real lesson here. Classic black, white stripes, no debate. 
