Breakdown

Comfort: 9.1

The main storyline for the Speed B.Elite Stars was their outstanding comfort, which was bolstered by a partial leather upper and a high-grade ANIMA foam composite underfoot. Our reviewers found these B.Elite Stars plush from the get-go, and once they got their specific fit dialed in, the shoes felt sensational. The Speed B.Elite Stars provided a great fit for Chris' narrower feet, and the mix of ventilation and cushioning was nearly perfect. He explained, "The Speed B.Elite Stars are among the most comfortable tennis shoes I've played in. The uppers felt supple right out of the box, and as the B.Elite Stars broke in they just became more and more comfortable. I was worried the shoes were just a smidge too short at first, but the fit felt great as they broke in. On court, the B.Elite Stars flexed and moved with my feet and felt very natural, and the cushioning felt soft and plush underfoot. Despite the pillowy feel, I also found enough response to push off aggressively for sprints. The level of ventilation was good, and my feet never felt too hot."

The comfort of the Speed B.Elite Stars exceeded Troy's expectations, with this being one of the most important categories for him. He noted, "I found these shoes to be exceptionally comfortable. I will note that the length and the depth of the toe box felt very snug in my usual size 9.5, so I ended up going up a half size to 10. Once I adjusted my size, I found the fit to be very plush and glove-likem and I didn't mind keeping these shoes on all day. I usually take off my tennis shoes after playing and put on some running shoes for the added cushioning and breathability, but these B.Elite Stars were really nice to lounge around in. The underfoot cushioning felt plush, while the mesh on the uppers felt soft on top of my feet. The arch support was pretty middle of the road. However, because I have experienced some plantar fasciitis, I used my orthotic heel and arch supports to give me a more supportive feel and fit. I thought that the ventilation was sufficient, and my feet never felt overly hot inside these shoes. With that said, these B.Elite Stars weren't as breathable as the adidas Defiant Speed 2s or the Head Sprint Pro 4.0s.”

Oak thought these Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars were very comfortable, and he found a good amount of functionality across the board. He said, "The Speed B.Elite Stars certainly do not skimp on step-in comfort, and the shoes immediately felt extremely soft and plush. Price tag aside, these do feel like premium high-end shoes that were made with great care and high-quality materials. The blend of KPU and leather for the upper makes for a secure, yet pliable, experience that is easy to trust. The cushioning underfoot was plentiful, and I enjoyed the heel-to-toe rocker sensation derived from the shoes' chassis. Ventilation was pretty good, especially for a more substantial upper, but these weren't the most breathable shoes. The weather has been heating up here on the central coast of California, and these shoes feel a little sweaty when playing in hotter conditions. The narrower fitting toe box was enjoyable to use, and I could trust the shoes to hug my feet without any reservations. The fit was pretty much perfect for my feet after I adjusted the laces for more heel lockdown, and I'd have no qualms recommending the overall Diadora fit to players looking for a narrow toe box, perhaps those coming from some older generation Asics shoes or looking for an alternative to Nike."

Mark thoroughly enjoyed the Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars' smooth ride, and he had no major concerns playing in them. He said, "Although the length was slightly snug when they were new, the Diadora Speed B. Elite Stars delivered an outstanding level of comfort. The medium arch height of the stock inserts complemented my high instep nicely and also contributed to the overall theme of comfort. The midsole cushioning under both the heel and toe areas of the shoe felt plush for the entire playtest, as did the breathable upper, which is accented with premium leather. After a couple of leisurely dog walks, the upper opened up to the point where I got a nearly perfect fit."

Foot Support / Stability: 6.6

The support and stability of the Speed B.Elite Stars left a tad to be desired for some testers but only relative to other high-end options. Mark found good support and a mostly stable nature when wearing the B.Elite Stars. He explained, "If I were testing the B.Elite Stars 20 years ago when I was able to apply the brakes and accelerate on court harder than I can these days, I might've felt that these shoes were lacking some support and stability. That said, I was safe and supported, and I felt far less beat up after long practice sessions when I wore these shoes."

Oak picked up on this lack of stability at times, finding himself wary of fully trusting the B.Elite Stars when in more precarious positions. He said, "I would describe the support and stability of the B.Elite Stars as sufficient, but nothing more extraordinary than that. It's not that I didn't feel supported by them, but I didn't feel super secure in some more uncomfortable positions. It was almost like the front half of the shoe felt very supportive, which was good when moving on the balls of my feet, but the back half of the shoe didn't hold my feet in the way I need when reacting at high speeds. When forced onto the back foot, the shoes had a tendency to spill over the sides, putting me at risk of rolling an ankle. It doesn't make the shoes unusable, but it is something to be mindful of when making extreme lateral movements, especially if you're not always super good about staying on the balls of your feet. As I've continued to wear my B.Elite Stars, they've started to aggravate my heels and Achilles after about an hour or so of play, which is never fun."

Despite their impressive performance elsewhere, the Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars stumbled a bit in this category for Chris. He described, "The one area where these shoes were lacking for me was in the stability department. Everything felt soft and built for comfort and speed rather than for holding me securely in place. Underfoot, the cushioning at the heels collapsed too easily on the lateral side, and I didn't feel secure. Likewise, the soft and supple uppers didn't offer enough lateral support to prevent my feet from spilling over the lateral edge of the midsole. In the end, I just didn't feel locked in enough for aggressive movement during singles play on hard courts."

The Speed B.Elite Stars supported Troy's on-court movement well, but he found the stability lacking. He said, "I found the support to be good for a majority of the playtest. I really enjoyed the fit (after adjusting my size), and they secured my feet very well. That said, the uppers did soften up a bit toward the end of the playtest, and I noticed a bit of give on the lateral side during aggressive changes in direction. It wasn’t to the point where I rolled over the side, but it was something that I noticed. When it came to the stability of these shoes, I kind of knew what I was getting into here as soon as I tried them on. They are pretty soft and a bit more flexible than your typical performance tennis shoes, so I would say the stability was subpar. However, as I mentioned in the video review, I play a lot of doubles and dingles nowadays, and these Diadora Speed B. Elite Star shoes were pretty good for covering half the court, so to speak."

Overall Sole Durability: 7.5

The B.Elite Stars held up reasonably well when it came to durability, but their longevity wasn’t blowing anyone away. Troy found decent durability, but he did see some visual imperfections crop up over time. He described, "The outsoles on these Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars seemed average to me in terms of durability. I noticed some wear on the tread underneath the forefoot region and a little bit of balding at the toe tip, but nothing was out of the ordinary. With the uppers being mesh with some leather reinforcements, I think Diadora did a good job of adding soft TPU to protect against dragging. With that said, these B.Elite Stars are not beefed up by any means, so I wouldn't necessarily be confident in recommending these shoes to players who move aggressively and slide on hard courts."

Chris also encountered some surface-level blemishes, and in high-wear areas he found noticeable signs of wear, although nothing that affected performance during the playtest period. He said, "I scuffed up the toes on my pair of Speed B.Elite Stars, but there was enough material to prevent me going through them during the test. I also found a fair bit of wear on the outsoles in my high-wear areas, but again the shoes were durable enough to survive the 15 hours of court time I put on them."

Oak's Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars started to lose their premium look after several intense court sessions. He explained, "Durability has been OK, but my B.Elite Stars have gotten a bit more discolored than I'd like to see, particularly on the outsoles, which makes me a little bummed because they have such a premium look otherwise. The uppers have broken in nicely without breaking down, which is always welcome to see, but the shoes are starting to look disheveled, with noticeable creases in the foam, sweat stains, bending of the uppers and some softer fabric pieces sticking out of place. Granted, I was expecting to see some wear since I am rather intense on my shoes, but perhaps not to this degree."

Elsewhere, Mark seemed to have better luck when it came to durability, continuing to wear his B.Elite Stars well past the conclusion of the playtest. He said, "The B.Elite Stars feel softer overall than some other court shoes I’ve been wearing. As a result, I would suggest these shoes to someone like myself who moves more conservatively and not to the speedy junior player capable of sliding on a hard court. I had at least 30 hours of tennis time on my B.Elite Stars by the end of this playtest, and another 20 spent on a padel court, with plenty of life left in them."

Traction: 7.7

For the majority of the team, the Diadora Speed B.Elite Star's traction proved to be entirely sufficient, with no issues arising. Such was the case for Mark, who felt like the traction was well balanced and practical. He said, "I really liked the combination of the B.Elite Star's tread pattern and rubber compound, which never felt too sticky or caused me to abruptly stop on any of the hard courts I played on.”

However, Oak had the opposite experience, encountering numerous obstacles to his preferred style of movement. He described, "Traction was an area where the B.Elite Stars gave me some trouble. I unfortunately experienced a fair degree of slippage, particularly toward the back of the shoes, and especially on my heels. As such, I couldn't fully trust the B.Elite Stars to have my back when undergoing or recovering from extreme movements. This area of performance could prove to be a dealbreaker for me."

Chris had a good time sliding and maneuvering in these B.Elite Stars. He explained, "I'd say the Speed B.Elite Stars offered a little more give than grip when coming to a quick stop. I found enough traction to stop securely, but I found sliding in these shoes easier than most. There was enough grip to get me going quickly when I was pushing off for a quick sprint, which complemented the overall fast feel of the shoes."

The B.Elite Stars' traction was very practical for Troy, but he was also aware of the shoes' limitations. He said, "I found the traction to work well for me throughout the playtest. I was pleased to find that the outsoles didn't feel too sticky. There was a slight bit of give, so these shoes didn't grab the court too much when I was planting and cutting. At the same time, I didn't have any major slippage issues. I felt like the rubber stayed pretty consistent as time went on in the playtest. Even with some slight wear, the outsole gave me a good balance of grip and give."

Weight: 8.4

Across the board, our playtesters appreciated the lightweight feel of the Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars. That said, while Troy liked how quick and comfortable the B.Elite Stars felt on court, he thought that a little extra mass in the shoes could increase their levels of performance. He explained, “These Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars felt nice and lightweight as soon as I slipped them onto my feet. The easy flexibility of these shoes and the bouncy midsole both contributed to the speedy feel. The B.Elite Stars were very light, but if I had my way, I would probably add a bit of weight to these shoes to get some stability features, such as a beefier shank or a lateral sidewall support system."

Chris thought the B.Elite Stars' minimal weight bolstered the speed and comfort they provided. He noted, "The Speed B.Elite Stars felt very light on my feet. The shoes transitioned very well from heel to toe, and I felt like I was sprinting around the court as well as I could. The flexible uppers also gave them a very light and fast feel."

This category was a highlight of the playtest for Oak. He said, "Thankfully, the B.Elite Stars are light enough to maneuver quickly but heavy enough to support good pivots and forward motion. I liked how the shoes felt on my feet, falling nicely into that Goldilocks zone of comfort."

Mark felt fleet-of-foot on court in his Diadora Speed B.Elite Stars. He said, "At a scant 12.8-ounce average weight (size 10.5) and with 'speed' in their name, I expected the Speed B.Elite Stars to be agile, and they did not disappoint."

Breakdown Summary