Diadora Speed Blushield 2 Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.3

As with the previous version, our playtesters loved the soft, cushioned feel of the Speed Blushield 2. "I liked the fit and feel of these shoes from the first moment I tried them on," Chris explained. "They hardly took any time to break in, and I was able to play comfortably in them on my first outing. I liked the way the uppers flexed, and even though the fit was a tad wide for my narrow feet, I was able to get a secure fit with two pairs of socks (always my preference anyway). The fit through the arch was a little low, but the level of support was great. The big plus for me was the level of cushioning. I found the perfect amount of comfort without feeling disconnected or overly elevated from the court."

Troy also enjoyed the level of cushioning, and although he had some problems with the arch, he found a solution. He offered, "These shoes provided me with better-than-average comfort. There was enough cushioning in the midsole for my feet to feel padded as I sprinted around the court. Any time I had to split step, bouncing on the balls of my feet, the cushioning was good enough to provide a soft landing. The Speed Blushield 2's ventilation was average compared to other shoes of a similar weight. I never felt that these shoes were making my feet overly warm, but I was also playing in a rather cool climate. The arch support felt slightly low for my liking, and after playing in these shoes for a couple sessions I swapped out the stock insoles for orange Superfeet Premium Insoles, and I found the arch support to be much improved. The only real comfort downside was the fit. My usual size 10 was running about a half size long, and if I had the choice, I would have sized down to a 9.5."

Mark, impressively, didn't need a break-in period for the Speed Blushield 2s. He said, "My initial lace-up with the new Speed Blushield 2s was easy, and for the rest of the work day I just walked around the warehouse in them. Within five minutes of wear I knew they were going to be comfortable enough for me to play in them on the first day. I played for approximately 1.5 hours that first day and have had about 25 comfortable hours of playing in them since. I found the cushioning to be somewhat spartan (not super plush). That said, no matter how I moved on the court or bent the shoes, the Speed Blushield 2s always felt good on my feet."

The Speed Blushield 2s seemed to suit Jason's feet very well, which is something he's come to expect from Diadora shoes. "I've always felt that Diadora shoes offer great levels of comfort," he said, "and this playtest was no different. The Blushield midsole technology offered a nice, well-cushioned ride for the duration of the playtest. Like the previous model, the fit was a bit wider in the forefoot, which was just right for my foot shape."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.2

Although the last version was soft, our playtesters thought they lacked stability. Diadora retained the comfort level in the Speed Blushield 2s, but also managed to make them more supportive. Jason was the first playtester to take notice of this, and he remarked, "This was the biggest area of improvement from the previous model. The original Speed Blushields had an extremely soft upper that did not do a good job stabilizing my feet. In this model, the uppers definitely felt beefed up and more rigid. Now I'm able to confidently move from side to side, stop and change directions without fear of my feet rolling over."

Chris affirmed this observation, saying, "There was a big improvement in both the support and the stability in this update. My feet felt way more locked in. The chassis of the shoe felt like it had been beefed up significantly. The lateral stability was much improved, and the shoes also flexed better to help protect my arches. The uppers offered better support and were less likely to let my feet spill over the edge of the shoes during aggressive movements."

Troy needed to make some adjustments to find a fit that felt locked in and secure, but once he found the winning formula he enjoyed the stability these shoes offered. He said, "When it came to foot support, these shoes provided a solid, stable ride. When I was moving aggressively around the court the Speed Blushield 2s held my feet securely. I felt comfortable when abruptly changing directions since these shoes always kept my feet and ankles secure. At the beginning of this playtest these shoes were too roomy, and I didn't feel completely locked in. After a few sessions I started to wear two pairs of socks, and this helped me to achieve a glove-like fit. One feature that stood out for me was the heel counter. The midfoot shank connected to the rigid heel counter, creating a secure feeling in the heel of the shoe. This is a feature that Asics used to have in the older models of the Gel Resolution, and now that they don't, I find their heel support to be somewhat lacking. Besides the fit issue, which I worked out by wearing two pairs of socks, I found the support and stability to be right up there with some of my favorite shoes."

As Mark's highest rated category, the support level drew nothing but praise from him. "Overall, the stability level of these shoes has been top notch," he stated. "I want my tennis shoes to be supportive enough for me to comfortably stop abruptly and change directions on a dime. The Speed Blushield 2s did a great job of holding my feet in place without ever constricting them."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.3

The Speed Blushield 2's durability was another overwhelmingly positive characteristic, according to our playtesters. Mark said, "Like I mentioned, I have at least 25 hours of play on them, and they rank among the most durable sole warranty shoes I've tested. Specifically, the toe area features plenty of extra material for when the player gets over the top of the shoe on a serve, or uses the medial side of the shoe as traction on a slide."

Jason appreciated the Duratech 5000 outsole technology, which is present in many of Diadora's shoes. He said, "I put in close to 20 hours on my pair, and there is plenty of tread left to go. I'll be able to put at least another 20 hours on these outsoles."

Chris, who is generally tough on his shoes, said, "The Speed Blushield 2s held up well for me. The outsoles proved to be much more durable than I expected. They lasted me longer than my last pair of Asics Gel Resolutions, so I was very impressed. The toe durability also proved to be solid. At the end of the test I had lots of scuff marks, but the material there was holding up very well."

Troy also found it useful to compare the Speed Blushield 2s to the Gel Resolutions. "The overall outsole durability was pretty average among other similar-weight shoes. I saw little wear to the tread pattern of the outsoles throughout this playtest. I found the most wear in the toe region, which is a fairly typical wear area for me. The Diadora Speed Blushield 2's durability was relatively similar to my shoe of choice, the Asics Gel Resolution 7. The overall durability wasn't quite at the level of the adidas Barricade 17 BOOST, but for my level of wear and tear, these shoes were plenty tough out on the hard courts."

Traction - Score: 4.3

It can be tricky to figure out the right level of traction for hard courts: too much traction and the shoe becomes sticky, too little and the player might slip and fall. That's why it was impressive that traction was among the highest ranking categories for the Speed Blushield 2s. Troy shared, "I was finding a good level of grip on the hard court surface, without feeling overly sticky. Any time I was on a full sprint and needed to change directions, I felt confident that these shoes would help me safely decelerate and push off for the next ball. The Duratech 5000 rubber compound provided a slight bit of give when I slammed on the brakes. This allowed me to feel comfortable changing directions, because I could safely come to a stop without a harsh force on my ankles and feet. When I was at rest and needed to push off to chase down the next shot the level of grip coming from these shoes allowed me to accelerate without any slipping."

Mark enjoyed the level of traction the Speed Blushield 2s provided. He said, "I was hugely impressed with how well the Blushield 2s allowed me to confidently accelerate in any direction and stop comfortably on a hard court."

Jason echoed Troy and Mark's sentiments, saying, "The Speed Blushield 2s have a great blend of grip and give. When I needed traction on my initial step toward the ball, the outsole did a great job gripping to the court so I didn't slip. When coming to a stop and trying to change direction quickly, there was some give to the outsoles where I would slide just a bit. It wasn't so sticky that I felt like the outsoles were catching and my ankle would roll over."

"I moved well in the Speed Blushield 2s," Chris offered. "I found ample grip when pushing off to chase down the next ball. I also liked how the shoes let me transition smoothly between changes of direction. I never felt like the Speed Blushields 2s were getting hung up on the surface. When I was coming to a quick stop the Speed Blushield 2s offered just enough give to let me slide a little if I wanted."

Weight - Score: 3.8

Our team found the weight of the Speed Blushield 2 to be average. Chris stated, "I thought the shoes felt pretty middle of the road in terms of weight. They didn't feel like the lightest and fastest shoes I've played in, but they didn't slow me down at all. Considering the stability, support and very impressive durability, I'd say the weight was well utilized."

Troy said, "I found the weight of these shoes to be pretty much in the realm of the shoes I typically play in, such as the Asics Gel Resolution 7s. I never felt that these shoes were weighing me down or causing my footwork to feel slow. For the amount of cushioning and support that these shoes supplied, I found them to be rather pliable. During my first hitting session in these shoes they flexed with my feet, which allowed for easy heel-to-toe transitioning as I moved around the court. Overall, the weight of these shoes felt right at home to me."

Mark agreed that the weight was typical for this type of shoe. He said, "The Speed Blushield 2's weight felt middle of the road to me. It felt comparable to the previous model and competitive with most other tennis shoes that carry a sole warranty."

Jason felt that the added weight was necessary to improve the shoes on the whole. He explained, "They felt more weighty than the previous version, but that's okay in my book because the tradeoff brought increased stability and support. I think the beefing up of the uppers added to the overall static weight, but these shoes felt well balanced and not clunky. I typically prefer lightweight shoes, but I had no issues with the weight of the Speed Blushield 2s."

Overall - Score: 4.1