Diadora Rebound Ace Mid Shoe Review

Diadora isn't a household name in the US when it comes to tennis shoes. Known more for soccer, cycling and other sports, their tennis presence has recently been boosted by current ATP Tour #1 Gustavo Kuerten. The Rebound Ace Mids have enjoyed impressive popularity since their introduction, so we decided to perform a playtest review. We quickly learned that the Rebound Ace Mid runs (at least) 1/2 size large, so we ordered accordingly for our playtesters. We then gave the Rebound Ace shoes a lengthy playtest on hardcourts. Here are our impressions.

Comfort - With a wider toebox, the Rebound Ace appeals to players with wide feet. Most of our playtesters found the initial comfort of the Rebound Ace Mids to be average to good. John needed a little time before feeling comfortable though, explaining, "at first, I didn't think I was going to be able to wear these shoes. The upper portion of the heel was digging into my achilles tendon and the fit just wasn't right on my forefoot. Once I got on court, though, I wasn't cognizant of any discomfort. The shoes come with a removable insole that is anatomically shaped, providing adequate cushioning." Granville adds, "they aren't uncomfortable, just a bit clumsy - a little extra leather here, a rub there. Insole seemed to mold to my foot shape, which really helped in comfort." Andy says, "comfort was definitely a highlight of this shoe for me. No pinching or rubbing whatsoever; just a very cushioned ride. Plus, I didn't need a break-in period - they were comfortable right out of the box." Randy comments, "comfort was good but the shoes were a bit roomy. They seem to have a wide toe box. Also, I had a little problem with the ball of my ankle rubbing the top part of the collar."

Arch Support - All playtesters observed a relatively mild arch in the Rebound Ace. With some, this was just right, while others would have preferred slightly more support. Dan offers, "although I had no problem associated with the arch support, I feel more would have helped due to the wider cut. My foot would have slid around less with more support." Andy says, "the arch support was just right for my foot ; not too much, which felt great on the court." Granville adds, "the mild arch was very compatible with my feet." Randy comments, "the arch was kinda low but I could feel it was there." John concludes, "the shape of this shoe is relatively flat. At times I wear orthotics on court and found the design ideal for use with them. Without inserts, the shoes felt fine too."

Foot Support/Stability - The Rebound Ace's midcut provides extra ankle support, while the Competition Comfort Bridge lends lateral support to the midfoot. Here again, players with wider feet will benefit most. John comments, "the Rebound Ace proved to be stable and reliable on court. When stretched wide, I was able to stop abruptly and then change directions easily without concern for slipping and sliding inside the shoe. The added midfoot support was noticeable." Randy says, "stability was excellent and support was good, although I felt that medial lateral support could have been better." Granville offers, "at first, I really struggled with these shoes. They didn't fit that well out of the box, so I had some concerns about 'pushing' myself on court. However, I found that the wide outsole (footprint) adds a great deal of stability, and once broken in, I didn't have any problems with stability or support." Dan adds, "these shoes will support wider-foot types great. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. I felt uncomfortable stopping quickly because of the extra room, which allowed my feet to move around inside the shoes. Perhaps going even 1/2 size smaller would have helped..." Andy continues, "this was my area of most concern. These shoes are fairly wide, which feels great comfort-wise. However, this creates stability issues for me, with my medium-width feet. I found myself slipping from side to side inside the shoe, and this gave me less confidence with my lateral movement."

Overall Sole Durability - The Rebound Ace sports a beefed up toe but the remaining outsole is less thick. Dan explains, "the shoe's seemingly thin sole, particularly right behind the toe, concerned me. I'm not sure if this is a durability issue but it was something that caught my attention when I began feeling court/road contours that wouldn't normally register with thicker-soled models. Shock absorption was compromised as a result." John concurs, adding, "during the playtest period, no noticeable outsole wear was evident. However, the outsole felt a little thin in certain areas. This could be due to the fact that the manufacturer has enhanced certain areas of the forefoot and heel with multi-density rubber but not the entire outsole." Andy offers, "the soles look great after 2 weeks of play; no signs of wear." Randy says, "outsole durability was excellent and the tread remained good."

Toe Durability - The beefed up Duratech toe is effective for even the most chronic toe draggers. Randy offers, "I'm a real toe-dragger and have spent quite a few hours on-court with these shoes. The sole is only slightly starting to wear - excellent durability." John adds, "although I'm not a toe-dragger, these shoes should provide more than adequate protection in that area. The manufacturer has extended the outsole into the toe area and reinforced it with hard rubber. The 'serial toe-dragger' should get added weeks of play as a result." Andy says, "all in all, this is a pretty good wearing shoe. Although I am seeing signs of wear in the toe, I would have blown a hole through any other shoe with less toe protection by now." Dan comments, "after 3-4 weeks of playtesting, only small signs of wear are appearing on the inside of the toe."

Traction - The aggressive herringbone tread design of the Rebound Ace delivers cat-like traction on hardcourts. Granville begins, "I found that in combination with the wide forefoot outsole and the deep herringbone tread pattern the Rebound Ace provided excellent traction. I can move side to side with confidence and chase down the short drop shot at the net. The "beefy" tread will go a long way to enhancing durability. This reflects the primary benefit of this shoe to this playtester." Randy adds, "I thought the outersole was excellent for all court surfaces. I was able to play on hard courts as well as clay with out changing my equipment. And with the deep forefoot flex grooves, I had excellent toe-off. No more foot fatigue." Dan says, "I didn't experience any problems with sliding or pushing off from the toe during quick re-starts and turns. The tread design held securely on our unforgiving hardcourts. No slippage. Great for stable, stop and go tennis."

Weight - As might be expected, the Rebound Ace Mid is no lightweight.. At 16.4 ounces (size 10-1/2), they're in line with many other similarly constructed mid-cut shoes. Many playtesters, however, felt they played lighter than their measured weight. Randy says, "although these shoes weighed a pound each, the overall feel was lighter." John follows with, "though not the lightest shoe on the market, this version is lighter than the previous incarnation (of the Rebound Ace). When in play, my movement around the court wasn't inhibited in any way. If anything, the weight of these shoes lends to the sense of stability and support I felt during play." Dan continues, "this shoe felt lighter in weight than its 16 ounce weight and seems to hit the ideal mix of good maneuverability and solid support."

Looks - The Rebound Ace looks like a hardcore tennis shoe but still contains enough styling for off-court wear. All but one of our playtesters liked the looks of these shoes. Andy offers, "great looks, although they do seem a bit 'boatish' when looking down at my feet!" Dan adds, "the soft, full-grain leather gives some added showmanship that looks great. Predominantly white, the mid-cut look flies at casual social outings too." Granville says, "the styling of the Rebound Ace is very conservative and understated. This is a good thing to me." Randy continues, "the looks couldn't have been better. The styling is busy but not flashy. I wear them everywhere!" John was our only dissenter, commenting, "the design of the shoe is functional. The look leaves something to be desired. It has somewhat of a cumbersome, klunky look. Unfortunately, that look screams 'slow and heavy', which it isn't."

The Rebound Ace Mid delivers good comfort, support and stability for players with wide(r) feet. Those with medium or narrow feet may find them too roomy. Also, Diadora should address the sizing issue, so players aren't forced to downsize for a proper fit. That said, the Rebound Ace Mids provide above-average durability and are a solid value in mid-cut shoes for hard and clay courts.

Review date: December, 2000. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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