Diadora Speed Pro EVO AG Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.7

Built to be comfortable and fast around the court, the Speed Pro EVO AGs offered a glove-like fit thanks in part to a uni-tongue design. When trying them on, the first thing Brittany noticed was the snug fit. "The bootie construction of these shoes made my narrow feet happy!" Brittany said. "However, these shoes ran a tad short, and I could feel my toes against the front of the shoes in my true size 8. However, I didn't go up a half-size because I needed the ankle support. When I tried the eight and a half the fit was too loose around my ankles. Since I have narrow feet I didn't need to break them in and could wear them straight onto the court without any rubbing or pinching. There was plenty of cushioning underfoot and in the uni-tongue. Lastly, I was surprised to find that these shoes ran hot despite a lot of mesh on the uppers. I was definitely taking them off as soon as I finished hitting."

Karly loved how cushioned these shoes felt throughout, but she had fit issues. She commented, "The cushioning was as plush as I've experienced in tennis shoes. Unfortunately, that extremely soft cushioning wasn't enough to prevent some discomfort from the very tight fit. These shoes were just too narrow for my slightly wider feet, which caused a lot of rubbing on my outer toes and even on the balls of my feet. I was also expecting a little more breathability with all mesh on the uppers, although the warmer temperature didn't bother me. I wish they weren't so tight on my feet because the ultra plush cushioning was outstanding."

The comfort was probably the defining feature of these shoes for Michelle. She explained, "These shoes were very comfortable and plush. However, the length was a little off for me, causing me to move up a half-size. They felt very short on my feet and tight in the toe box. Once I sized up they offered lots of cushioning and fit great. I've come to expect a plush response from Diadora shoes after playtesting a couple of the Speed Star K models, and these Speed EVO AGs did not disappoint. I had no issues with the breathability, although they did run on the warmer side, especially while playtesting them on our hot indoor court in the summer."

Comfort was a mixed bag for Tiffani primarily because of her wide feet. She elaborated, "The fit was just too narrow, and my toes would feel numb because the fit in the forefoot was so tight. I was on the fence over going up a half-size, and in hindsight wearing a 6.5 instead of my usual 6 would have alleviated some of the tightness in the forefoot. Looking past this issue, I liked the soft cushioning and the low-to-the-ground feel, and I can't recall having any issues with the feel of the arch support. However, I was quite surprised that these shoes ran on the warm side. I thought there was going to be enough mesh to keep them cooler, but it turns out that the ventilation levels were average at best."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 2.5

Although our testers loved the comfort of the Speed Pro EVO AGs, they all struggled with the support and stability. Karly said, "The Speed Pro EVO AGs wrapped too low around my feet, and the laces didn't come up high enough for my ankles to feel locked in and secure. I needed two extra eyelets so I could cinch the shoelaces around my ankles for more support. From the very first hit I was worried about switching directions too quickly because the shoes felt so loose and low around my ankles."

Michelle agreed, adding, "Unfortunately, this is where these shoes lost some major points in my book. I never felt locked in. I couldn't move laterally with 100 percent confidence. After I sized up a half-size the width felt slightly wider than I like, and that didn't help any in terms of support and stability. I never felt totally secure moving aggressively. I also would have enjoyed thicker laces and an extra eyelet to really feel locked in and supported. The thin laces just didn't seem to provide enough security. I was hoping for the same levels of support and stability as the Speed Star K, but I was a bit disappointed not to find that in these shoes."

Echoing the others, Tiffani added, "I felt pretty secure in the front of my shoes because the fit was so tight for my wide feet, but these shoes offered very little in terms of support toward the back of the shoes and around the ankles. The lacing system stops very short and sat on top of my feet rather than coming up around my ankles. The soft material around the ankle collar allowed my feet to move quite a bit from side to side. It was to the point that I didn't feel confident in making quick stops and starts, especially if my opponent hit the ball behind me. I just let those go."

Trying to find some positives in this category, Brittany said, "I liked how the glove-like fit held my forefoot and midfoot in place remarkably well during most movements, but when I was making quick changes of direction my shoes would grip the court while my feet continued to slide over the edge of the shoes. I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle because I was so low to the ground, but I could feel the uppers giving more than I like. These shoes sat pretty low around my ankle, and the laces are thin and don't go up high enough to really secure my ankles. It felt like there was some extra room around my ankles and the shoes were missing an eyelet. The main reason I didn't go up a half-size was because there would have been too much room around my ankles. Also, my heels didn't feel 100 percent locked in and were moving around inside the shoes. I would have liked some more ankle support."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.4

Our playtesters usually wear through lightweight shoes pretty fast, but the outsoles of the Speed Star EVO AGs proved they were ready for the hard courts. "For lightweight shoes the outsoles held up pretty well for me," said Michelle. "I'm not seeing any crazy wear after a few weeks, but I will admit it was tough to put many hours on these shoes because I felt like I couldn't move aggressively in them. I often saved them for doubles matches. I had some standard smoothing on the outsoles, but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm actually fairly impressed with the durability."

Tiffani also tread lightly in her shoes, noting, "I didn't put as many hours on these shoes as I usually would. I spent most of my time with these in the gym rather than on the tennis court. The color started to wear off the outsoles, but I have a lot of tread left. After just a few hours on court the toes look OK, but I busted the stitching at the toes within the first hour."

"One thing I noticed after my first one hour hit was some issues with the toe durability," said Brittany. "There is a thread that runs along the top of the toe bumper. I had completely broken the threads on both shoes and they were hanging off the shoes. This didn't have any impact on the playability, just the cosmetics, and I just trimmed the thread for aesthetics. The rest of the toe bumper held up well and I didn't see any damage at the end of the playtest. Since the Speed Pro EVOs are lightweight shoes I wasn't expecting amazing outsole durability, and I'd say they had about average durability. I could see some smoothing toward the end of the playtest underneath my big toes, but nothing that I wasn't expecting."

Karly wasn't expecting much from these shoes in terms of durability, especially for how little they weigh. She said, "The Speed Pro EVOs felt extremely lightweight so it wasn't much of a surprise when they started to smooth after two hours. I wasn't able to put them through a complete durability test because I was so hesitant playing in them due to of the lack of support, but it's safe to say the durability wasn't these shoes' strongest feature."

Traction - Score: 3.5

The level of traction from the Speed Pro EVO AGs was pretty standard. Karly liked the traction at the start of the playtest, saying, "The outsoles offered good tack without feeling glued to the court. I could plant confidently without worrying about slipping. However, the more I played in these shoes and the more the outsoles started to smooth, the more slippery they felt on the court. Toward the end of the playtest the traction was definitely more slick and less stick."

Brittany relied on the shoes' low ride more than the traction. She explained, "From the moment I put them on I could tell my feet were sitting deep in the shoes and close to the ground. When I was moving my feet felt very connected to the court, even with all the cushioning. I think this is as close to a minimalist shoe as I would ever wear. The actual traction was a little sticky, and I would have preferred a bit more give from the outsoles."

Tiffani said, "The traction level was OK, especially since I was not moving as aggressively as I typically like to. The outsoles didn't feel too slippery or stick to the court so I could move around with moderate confidence in my footwork."

"The traction was actually one of the more positive aspects of these shoes," stated Michelle. "While I wanted more support and stability, at least I could rely on high levels of traction to keep me feeling somewhat confident in these shoes. I never slipped or felt like I was going to lose my footing on the court."

Weight - Score: 4.2

There's no doubt these Speed Pro EVO AGs were light. However, weight is only part of the equation on the court. "These shoes were light and comfy, and because of their weight I thought they would play pretty fast," began Michelle. "However, with the stability issues I experienced, I didn't feel like they played as fast as as a shoe like the Asics Solution Speed 2s, or even the adidas adizero Tempaia IIIs. Based strictly on their weight on the scale they were one of the lighter shoes we've playtested in a while. I just wish that they played a bit speedier."

Karly agreed, and added, "Diadora definitely achieved a lightweight feel with the Speed Pro EVOs. They were very minimal shoes and felt extremely light on my feet. They even reminded me more of training shoes than tennis shoes because they were so light. However, when I was playing tennis in them I wasn't moving as fast as I wanted. I slowed down my movements because I was too worried about the low support when I was changing directions quickly. While they were very lightweight shoes, the lack of support weighed them down."

After playtesting a couple heavier shoes, Brittany's feet were delighted to slip into these super light shoes. She said, "The Speed Pro EVO AGs have to be one of the lightest shoes I have worn at 10.5 ounces (size 8.5), and I couldn't be happier. I felt really quick on the court, and at times I even forgot that I was wearing shoes. The bootie construction made it feel like I was wearing thick socks instead of shoes, and they felt like an extension of my feet. There were no complaints from this lightweight shoe fan!"

Tiffani added, "These Diadora Speed Pro EVO AGs are pretty light, and they have a low to the ground feel, especially in the forefoot. The light weight was the highlight of the playtest for me. It's too bad that the support was subpar because I could imagine these shoes being very fast on the court if I were confident enough to really chase after balls."

Overall - Score: 3.2