Breakdown

Comfort: 8.5

The Speed B.Icon 3s had underfoot comfort in spades. After an initial break-in, Troy found a great blend between comfort and performance, although he noted a lack of airflow during point play. He explained, "I found these Speed B.Icon 3s to get better as time went on. I had to go up a half size to a 10 because they felt rather short in length. I did this with my last Diadora playtest as well, the Speed B.Elite Star shoes. Once I adjusted for the length, these Speed B.Icon 3s had a pretty good fit for me. One aspect that really works well for me is how these shoes sit up a bit higher on the ankles. This offered added support, which was a good attribute because I was using my planter fascia support inserts that push up my heels a bit, and that added ankle height helped me stay locked-in. The cushioning felt a bit firm at the beginning of the test, but as time went on I felt like the Anima cushioning in the midsole became more responsive, and I got some added energy while pushing off. The arch support in stock form was a little low for my liking, and in terms of ventilation, this update is better than the first version of the B.Icons, but still not all that good."

Mark experienced step-in comfort with the Speed B.Icon 3s, and that comfort held up wonderfully for the duration of the playtest. He said, "The underfoot cushioning provided from the Anima midsole material felt soft, responsive and supportive throughout the playtest. The cushioning is more substantial in the heel area, but the padding up front was sufficient. As with the prior version, the shape of the Speed B.Icon 3s fit my medium-width foot type nicely, and with the change Diadora made to the lacing system, I was able to easily achieve an even better fit. We did have some hot days around here during this playtest, and my feet never overheated."

This category was a highlight of the playtest for Oak, though he would have appreciated more breathability. He said, "The comfort of these Speed B.Icons is simply excellent. Coming from the B.Elite Stars, I was delighted to find that these shoes have massive amounts of noticeable cushioning like their pricier siblings. The Anima foam composite from Diadora really is quite nice, and I loved the underfoot feel. That said, I definitely would've appreciated some more ventilation. My feet were swamp-like after the first couple of court sessions in these shoes, and the navy blue tongue fabric actually ended up bleeding onto my white socks, so be careful of that. The arch support was adequate, but as I've said before, this is an area that doesn't cross my mind all that often in terms of feel and performance as long as it's not detrimental. The fit was quite good! I was worried about the shoes being too open around the heel, but thankfully, the lockdown is top-notch. The toe box is a little narrower, but I typically like this in court shoes because I feel like it encourages me to stay on the balls of my feet."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.4

The Speed B.Icon 3s impressed our team in this category, working well with each of their unique play styles. Oak found consistent support and lateral stability for his counterpunching game. He described, "There was excellent support and stability throughout these shoes. It's some of the most well-rounded construction I have ever seen, especially for a shoe with higher-profile heels. Lateral stability often takes a hit in shoes that are this elevated, but I was happy to find that these Speed B.Icon 3s are rock solid side-to-side, and they kept my feet feeling connected to the court. I also like how the substantial heel cushioning encourages me to be more forward on my feet and with my shots."

"The support was top-notch for me," added Troy. "I found a really good fit once I adjusted my size up to a 10, and I felt very secure inside of these shoes. I was using the last eyelet toward the back of my ankle just to give me that little extra heel lock, but after that I felt confident in my movement. I would say the stability level wasn't quite as high as the support level. The CCB stabilizer seemed to help give these shoes some torsional rigidity, but I was left wanting a bit more of a lateral outrigger or a wider base in the forefoot. I never rolled an ankle while playing in these, but there were times when I felt like the base of these shoes was just a bit narrow. In fact, while shooting the video review for these shoes, as I was moving forward toward the net, I turned sideways to stop and caught the outside edge of the forefoot, taking a spill on the court. Luckily, the CCB stabilizer piece is hard plastic and actually forced me to slide into my fall, like a baseball player stealing a base."

Mark found the shoes' support features to work with his feet. He noted, "The support and comfort from the Speed B.Icon 3s’ uppers was pretty much on par with the quality of the midsole. My feet were comfortably held in place no matter the directional change, which was reinforced with the Anima midsole technology and CCB Medial Stabilizer under my arches."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.3

The Speed B.Icon 3s’ outsoles withstood everything our playtesters could throw at them, showing nary a scratch by the end of the testing period. While Troy appreciated the excellent durability, he felt that a durability guarantee would have been a nice inclusion. He said, "The rubber outsole on these Speed B.Icon 3s held up tough for about a solid month and a half of wear (I would say about 25 hours or so), and I saw little wear on the outsoles. Keep in mind that I am not a big toe dragger, but there wasn't a whole lot of balding or wear on the tread. So would I recommend these shoes to someone who is tough on their shoes? Quite likely, but for those team players out there or tournament players who put in a lot of hours and slide on hard courts, I might steer them toward shoes that come backed by a six-month outsole durability guarantee. I will say, though, that the upper material is pretty durable and holds up well to scuffing, so that would be a benefit for those who are sliding on hard courts."

Oak had nothing but praise for how well the shoes held up. He said, "I have been putting in egregious hours of play on these shoes. I’ve gone well beyond the 60-hour mark trying my absolute darnedest to wear through them. So far, the least durable part of these shoes are the laces they came with, and I have broken the laces on both of my shoes. I think the stock laces were a little too long, which resulted in them coming into contact with a lot of different things when sliding, and they wore down as they were pulled through into a knot. The outsoles have held up great, and the spot where I drag my left foot has only minimal balding. On the uppers, the blend of D-Skin and TPU has proven very durable and has maintained both its shape and support. There are some scuff marks from sliding, but they've scuffed without wearing through, which doesn't always happen with uppers."

For Mark, the overall durability left little to be desired. He said, "Although the Speed B.Icon 3s do not feature an outsole warranty, I found them to be pretty durable overall. I no longer drag my feet as much as I used to, and the top, lateral and medial toe areas of the Speed B.Icon 3s are reinforced with abrasion-resistant TPU overlays for those players who do."

Traction: 8.1

Traction-wise, the Speed B.Icon 3s were up to scratch, wearing in nicely as the playtest progressed. After an initial break-in period, the Speed B.Icon 3s settled into Mark’s preferred grip range for a good pair of court shoes. He noted, "Similar to a lot of court shoes I have tested, the traction was slightly sticky for the first several rallies. It then gave way to a nice, predictable blend of grip versus slip for the rest of the test and beyond."

The Speed B.Icon 3s’ traction proved a little harder for Oak to trust under duress, specifically near the heel. He explained, "Traction was great, except on the very back heel portion of the shoes. If my opponents ended up going behind me and I had to put on the brakes with my heels, the very back of the shoes tended to slip out. This is, unfortunately, the very same issue I had with the B.Elite Stars. It could be a geometrical issue with the shoes' construction, but I knew that I had to be keenly aware that the heel portion of the outsoles might give out when I changed direction, leaving me vulnerable or stumbling. Other than that, the traction was quite good, and I felt comfortable turning on the afterburners and sliding both into and out of my shots. These Speed B.Icon 3s are quite fast, so sprinting up to drop shots proved entirely feasible, as did recovering back to the middle for neutral positioning."

Troy didn’t have to worry about the Speed B.Icon 3s’ grip on court. He said, "Like we often say when it comes to shoes, it’s a good thing if you aren’t thinking about them while on court. That is how I felt about the traction of these B.Icon 3s; it didn't feel too sticky or super slick. I felt like my movement was pretty natural in these shoes, especially after a slight break-in. Most importantly, when I needed to hit the brakes, change directions or come to a stop, everything was very controlled. I did have the one incident I mentioned earlier where I caught the outside of these shoes and slid out on the court. It is kind of funny looking back on it now because I didn't get injured, but I think these shoes could use a little more of an outrigger, or a lateral flange, as Foot Doctor Zach would say."

Weight: 8.1

While the actual weight of the Speed B.Icon 3s measured on the slightly heavier side (15.2 ounces size 10.5), our team was happy to report that there were no issues on court as far as the weight was concerned. Troy found the Speed B.Icon 3s to be a willing partner and felt supported without feeling weighed down. He said, "I would say these shoes are a pretty good middle-weight contender. These Speed B.Icon 3s required a little bit of a break-in, but after that they flexed well and molded to the shape of my feet. The shoes definitely felt lighter than the weight on the scale would indicate."

Mark was able to trust the weight of the Speed B.Icon 3s to work with him instead of against him. He described, "On paper, my pair of Diadora Speed B.Icon 3s tipped the scales in the low 15-ounce range, which is about the same as the prior model and is a good indicator for me that the shoe will be supportive. That said, I have to say they felt lighter than some other court shoes I have worn that are of a similar weight."

Oak had a favorable experience with the weight of the Speed B.Icon 3s on his feet, noting that the weight seemed to boost his performance instead of limiting it. He said, "The weight is definitely noticeable, but not limiting! I usually make the distinction that some heavier shoes feel heavy to move with, while others use that weight without feeling weighed down. I liked how solid the B.Icon 3s felt when moving, and I felt like the weight was working with me to provide lots of support without limiting my movement. These shoes aren't lightweight, but they don't feel too heavy either."

Breakdown Summary