Diadora Speed Star K III Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

Players who have worn any version of the Speed Star K already know the secret of these shoes: kangaroo leather! The soft, supple uppers keep feet happy for hours on the court, and our playtesters agreed that comfort was the standout feature of the Speed Star K IIIs. Michelle was excited for this playtest because she gave the previous version one of her highest scores to date. She said, "The comfort levels didn't disappoint! There was so much soft, plush cushioning throughout these shoes. Like the previous version, I found myself wearing these shoes everywhere, not just on the tennis court. They didn't need any break-in time, but I was happy that they opened up a bit after a few hours of court time because the fit was a little snug for me. That snug fit made me feel locked into my shoes. However, I could see players sizing up a half-size if they typically prefer a roomier fit. Aside from that, these shoes did everything right for my feet in the comfort category!"

The previous Speed Stars were one of Karly's favorite shoes due to how soft and comfortable they felt. This version was no different. She said, "The comfort was top-notch. The cushioning was extremely plush, and the kangaroo leather uppers felt so soft. The only reason I didn't score them any higher in comfort was because I experienced some rubbing under the balls of my feet. These shoes were a little stiff in the beginning and needed a slight break-in to loosen up, but once they did the rubbing was gone, and I could appreciate the soft padding."

The most surprising thing about these updated shoes for Tiffani was the break-in time. She explained, "With the previous version the comfort was immediate. It took some breaking in for me to find complete comfort with the Speed Star K III. Even after I went up a half-size due to the short and narrow fit I initially struggled with a tight fit in the forefoot and some rubbing, especially on the balls of my feet. The uppers stretched after about two hours and the rubbing went away. The fit remained snug throughout the playtest, but the kangaroo uppers were soft enough to maintain the comfort. The cushioning is plush throughout, and when you pair that with the soft uppers you get one of the most comfortable shoes on the market."

Brittany also thought the Speed Star K IIIs ran a bit short. However, when she moved up a half size they were too long, so she decided to stay in her true size. She said, "I think the best fit would have been somewhere in between my true size and a half-size larger. It took me around two hour to break them in. I had some rubbing on the top of my right foot that created a blister after the first hit in them, but once the uppers broke in I didn't have any issues with rubbing or the length. There was plush cushioning around the ankle collar and tongue, and there was enough cushioning underfoot for shock absorption."

Ventilation - Score: 2.3

Echoing the review of the preceding Speed Star K II, our team unanimously agreed the ventilation was the biggest downside in the Speed Star K IIIs. Karly commented, "While shoes that run hot don't normally bother me, the Speed Star K IIIs were noticeably hot as soon as I started moving on the court. There wasn't enough airflow to let the cool air in and the hot air out, so they left my feet feeling warm on the court and my socks damp after the hit."

The Speed Star K IIIs smothered Tiffani's feet. She said, "They're tight fitting, and I'd venture to say there was no venting at all. I had to take these off right after playing tennis so my feet could breathe."

"These shoes ran hot!" said Brittany. "The kangaroo and synthetic leather upper didn't provide any air circulation, and there were only a couple holes for ventilation. I could feel my feet start to warm up as soon as I got on the court, and I would immediately take my shoes off after playing. However, for me this isn't that big of an issue and is something I could easily ignore."

Michelle agreed with the other playtesters, adding, "Kangaroo leather isn't the most breathable material, and one of the noticeable features of these shoes was that they ran hot. That's an easy thing for me to overlook considering the cushioning and great feel of this shoe. I don't mind giving up some ventilation for comfort and support."

Arch Support - Score: 4.0

Our team agreed the arch support in the Speed Star K IIIs was lower than medium. It worked well for Tiffani's feet, and she said, "I liked how the uppers hugged my feet to offer support. I never noticed any aches or pains from the insole support."

The arch supports fit Brittany's medium arches just fine. She said, "I could feel the outer arch just a tad when I first started playing in these shoes. It didn't hurt or cause any pain, but it was an annoyance. As the playtest wore on the outer arch wore down and I didn't notice it as much."

Also having no issues with the arch support was Michelle, who commented, "The lower than medium arch support was just fine for my higher arches. The snug fit really held my foot just right, and my arches were well supported. Considering I have had some issues with other playtest shoes lately, it was nice that the arch support didn't hinder the feel of these shoes at all."

Rounding out the positive arch feedback was Karly. She said, "The arches were a little lower than average, but they worked just fine for my flatter feet. I didn't experience any aches or pains, so I was happy with the level of arch support they offered."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.2

Improved support and stability were among the highlights of the Speed Star K IIIs. The previous version opened up and our playtesters lost that stable feel, but Diadora worked some magic and injected higher levels of support into the Speed Star K IIIs. Brittany appreciated the glove-like fit in her forefoot and midfoot, saying, "These shoes felt very secure, and my feet were staying in place when I moved around. When I first started the playtest my heels were slipping out of my shoes, but I used the last eyelet and that helped a little bit. My heels were still slipping out slightly, but not as much after that adjustment. My feet rode low to the ground so I always felt like my ankles were supported, however, I just didn't feel like they were locked into the shoes."

"I felt super secure and supported in these shoes, and this update definitely scored higher for me than the previous version," stated Michelle. "A snug fit worked to my advantage and helped my feet feel secure so I could move aggressively with confidence. My feet rode low to the ground, and I was never worried about any twisting in these shoes. The previous version softened up and lost a bit of support, but in this update that wasn't an issue for me. Even when the shoes did soften up a bit, they were still supportive."

Karly never worried about hurting herself on the court when playing in the Speed Star K IIIs. She said, "These shoes wrapped around my feet tightly, keeping them secure. I was confident making quick starts and stops because I wasn't sliding at all inside the shoes, and the uppers provided good, stable support."

These shoes ran on the narrow side for Tiffani, but that worked to her advantage in this category. She said, "Although it was a struggle to get these shoes on and off my feet due to the snug fit, once they were on I appreciated the supportive feel. Unlike the previous version, these Speed Star K IIIs remained supportive and stable throughout the entire playtest. I didn't feel like my feet were going anywhere once they were inside these shoes, and my ankles were well supported."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

Our team was able to put some serious hours on the court in the Speed Star K IIIs. All of our testers agreed that the outsole durability was about average for durability guaranteed shoes in this weight category. Michelle was completely satisfied with the outsole durability, and said, "I wouldn't say these are the most durable shoes I have playtested this year, but I can say that because of the outsole warranty I'm not too worried about it. Considering I have a tendency to wear these shoes everywhere, I'm happy with the wear of the outsole. It is also worth noting that Diadora has taken a bit of weight out of this update, which I think is a decent trade-off for a little less durability on the outsoles in a guaranteed shoe."

Karly found the durability to be average. She said, "Considering how light they felt, the outsoles held up well. However, after about 15 hours of hitting in them I noticed quite a bit of smoothing, especially at the balls of the feet. I never tore through the material, but because I enjoyed their overall performance so much, I wish I didn't see them smoothing down as fast as they did."

"I noticed the pivot point starting to wear around 10 hours of play," said Tiffani. "This is pretty typical for me, and with the outsole guarantee on these shoes I have little to worry about."

After playtesting these shoes for about 15 hours Brittany found the most wear at the pivot points, especially on her left shoe. She explained, "They were starting to wear down and smooth out most noticeably on the outer edge. I would say these shoes rank about average for durability in this weight class. However, I wasn't worried since these shoes have a durability guarantee."

Toe Durability - Score: 3.2

Our two toe draggers had different experiences with the toe durability of the Speed Star K IIIs. Tiffani said, "For some reason I didn't drag my toes as much with these shoes. The bumper came up high enough for me that I wasn't scraping the uppers, which is a good thing since they're so soft. I ended up doing little damage to the uppers and just scraped up the toe bumper."

However, Brittany saw immediate wear on her shoes. She said, "The toe bumper doesn't come up high enough to protect the upper from toe dragging. While I'm not an aggressive toe dragger, I can do some damage if the shoe isn't protected completely. I saw wear on the toe bumper of the Speed Star K IIIs after just a couple hits, and I'd already taken a layer of material off at the end of the playtest. I think if I continue to play in these shoes I'll go through the upper in just a couple more weeks."

Traction - Score: 3.6

Our team agreed that the traction offered by the Speed Star K III was more give than grip. "It took some time for me to get used to the traction because it was on the slicker side," said Karly. "When I made hard stops my feet would slide a little more than usual, although not enough to lose my footing. The good stability helped minimize this, and I was still confident when making quick starts and stops even though the K IIIs offered more give than usual."

Tiffani agreed, explaining, "The Duratech 5000 outsoles were on the slick side and offered more slide than stick. I really noticed it on my pivots. I felt like I was spinning too far around on some shots. A lot of shoes these days seem to be offering a little bit of extra give, and I did get used to it. The outsoles weren't so slippery that I fell, it just took a while to get used to moving in them."

Brittany had mixed feelings about the traction, saying, "First and foremost, I liked that I didn't feel like I was sitting high off the ground. However, I found these shoes to be slippery at times. They had more give than I was used to, especially since I do not slide on the court. I wanted more grip because I was sliding in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go when I tried to change directions quickly."

Michelle also really enjoyed how connected to the court she felt, but she did have a few instances when the traction got a little slippery for her. She said, "I wasn't really expecting any give from the outsole, so there were a few times when I was surprised that I slipped a bit or lost my footing on wide balls. It seemed to happen the most when I was moving laterally. Some players like that extra give, but I would have preferred a little more traction to give me a bit more security."

Weight - Score: 4.3

Despite all the cushioning, Diadora successfully took weight out of the Speed Star K IIIs, making them even faster and lighter than the Speed Star K IIs. That took Tiffani by surprise. She explained, "Because these shoes are so well cushioned I expected them to feel heavier and more sluggish on the court. These shoes aren't light like an Asics Gel Solution Speed 2, but they're quite fast for a more durable, plusher shoe. The glove-like fit helps them feel even lighter."

Brittany thought the Speed Star K IIIS were just the right weight. She said, "They had just enough weight to keep them stable and secure, but they were light enough to keep me moving quickly around the court. The weight was well distributed throughout the shoes."

"These shoes do end up weighing in a bit lighter than the previous version, which is always a positive," added Michelle. "I never felt like these were heavy shoes, and they felt a little lighter than average to me. The low-to-the-ground fit made them feel even faster."

The Speed Star K IIIs played fast for Karly, and they felt ultra light on the court. She said, "I felt like I was constantly on the balls of my feet because the heel came up higher than rest of the shoe. This prevented me from standing flat-footed. When combined with the low weight and secure fit, it made taking off quickly and making fast movements seem natural."

Overall - Score: 4.1