Diadora Speed Blushield 5 Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

The Diadora Blushield Speed 5s excelled in the comfort department thanks to its Blushield cushioning system. Michelle has tested multiple Diadora models and has known them to be consistently comfortable shoes. She reflected on that reputation, saying, "I can always expect comfort when testing Diadora shoes, and these shoes came loaded with it. One of the standout features was the plush comfort, especially around the heel collar. I think these would be a solid option for teaching pros who spend hours on the court and on their feet. I know in the past I have struggled a bit with the fit of Diadora shoes, but these Blushield Speed 5s fit my feet better. They were on the wider side, but that was an easy fix with two pairs of socks or thicker Thorlo socks. In the past, the heel counter had rubbed my ankles a bit, but I didn't have that issue at all in this update. The uppers were comfortable and felt like they provided enough support. These Speed 5s did feel a bit on the hotter side, but that's really not too big of an issue for me on mild California spring days."

"I loved the comfortable ride I found in the Blushield Speed 5s," continued Chris. "The level of cushioning was excellent and offered all-day comfort. My feet never got too hot, and that, combined with the comfortable uppers, had me playing blister and worry free. My arches felt well supported, and this proved to be one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I've worn."

Our playtesters at our East Coast location shared similar opinions. Erik thoroughly enjoyed the plush comfort of the shoes right from the beginning. He said, "I noticed how comfortable these shoes were as soon as I put them on. They were lacking some in ventilation, though, especially in the Georgia summer. I like the cushioning at the heel, but I would want some more cushioning in the forefoot near the toes. I also would've liked a little more response underfoot."

The Speed 5's wider width didn't seem to affect Kendal at all. She said, "The fit was really good, and I have medium width feet. In other shoes I have to make sure my laces are extremely tight, but with the Diadora Speed 5, I could tie them regularly and feel very comfortable. The arch support was pretty good at the start of my playtest, but as I played more, I thought my feet were going to start cramping. Ventilation wasn't terrible; my feet were a little hot after a hit, but the temperature is also getting a lot warmer out in Georgia. The cushioning felt solid for the first few hits, but the longer I played in these shoes the more I could feel the insole thinning."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.1

The Blushield Speed 5 impressed our playtesters with excellent support and stability, even with its wider fit. Kendal was able to maneuver around the court with confidence. She said, "The foot support and stability were great for me from beginning to end. I like to slide on all surfaces, and I felt very comfortable sliding on hard courts in these Speed 5s. I felt like my ankles were well supported."

"I was happy with the support and stability I got from these shoes," added Michelle. "If I had to be critical, I would say that when I wasn't wearing thick enough socks, my feet sort of slipped over when I was moving aggressively, but that was an easy fix on my end. Once that width adjustment was made, I felt comfortable trusting these shoes on aggressive movements. The stability was impressive as well; these shoes held me upright."

While the fit was wide for Chris' skinny feet, he was still able to find a secure lockdown with a little creativity. He said, "The overall fit was pretty roomy for my narrow feet, but with a thicker insole and two pairs of socks, I found a fit that supported me comfortably. The shoes did everything right in terms of giving me a stable platform to push off, as well as supporting quick stops. I never felt in danger of rolling an ankle, and I felt very safe playing in the Blushield Speed 5s."

Erik also had to double up on socks for a proper fit, but once he did, he found the Blushield Speed 5s quite supportive and stable. He described, "The ankle collar was a little more flexible than I would've preferred overall, so it took me a second to take off on a dead sprint. The shoes were also a little wider than I prefer, but wearing two pairs of socks helped. The upper of these shoes was very supportive and stable, which was nice when moving laterally."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.3

Our team put the Diadora Blushield Speed 5 to the ultimate test, playing on both indoor and outdoor hard courts. Chris has been known to be tough on the outsoles, toes and uppers of his shoes, but these Diadoras stood up to the punishment. He said, "My pair of Blushield Speed 5s held up very well. There was ample rubber on the outsoles to make them long-lasting. The uppers also resisted abrasion well. I drag the uppers of my shoes when reaching wide on my backhand side, and there was enough material up around the toe bumper to protect the shoes."

Playing a variety of singles and doubles throughout the playtest, Erik had plenty of life left in his shoes. He said, "I was impressed by the durability I got out of these shoes; they were very solid all around. I wore these about 10 or so hours, and they definitely could go another 10, no problem."

"The outsoles of my Blushield Speed 5s are not worn down at all after 10-plus hours of playing and walking around in them," continued Kendal. "The upper durability is decent, and with all the sliding on hard courts in multiple different hitting sessions, I am seeing minimal damage. There's just a tad bit of the plastic rubbed off, but there are no holes."

Michelle agreed with the rest of the team, saying, "The outsoles of these Blushield Speed 5s had great durability, and I think they have a lot of life left after this playtest. These shoes checked all the boxes and were durable too!"

Traction - Score: 4.6

The playtesters found the Blushield Speed 5's modified herringbone pattern to be well balanced, but slightly on the grippier side. Kendal had no complaints. She described, "The traction was great on these shoes. There was a nice blend of give and grip, and I experienced zero slippage as I was trying to push off on both sides. I was able to stop on a dime whenever I needed to."

Michelle prefers an outsole with a little more tack than give, and these shoes offered just that. She said, "I don't like to slide, and I prefer feeling confident my feet won't give out from under me. I also remember these shoes being a bit squeaky in previous generations, and I didn't really notice that as much this time around."

"I enjoyed the level of traction I found in the Blushield Speed 5s," Chris added. "There was plenty of grab to help me push off aggressively, and despite these not being super light shoes, I felt like I moved well in them. they offered a nice amount of grip when I was coming to a quick stop, so I could control my movements without any undue slipping or tripping over my feet from too much grab. The Blushield Speed 5s get top marks from me here."

Erik was able to find his stride after a short break-in period. He explained, "The traction of these Speed 5s was quite sticky at the beginning, but once I broke them in the traction was ideal for my style. I really like to slide on tough shots, so the more the playtest wore on, the more I liked the traction of these shoes."

Weight - Score: 3.7

Weighing in at 15.7 ounces (size 10.5) for men and 12.4 ounces (size 8.5) for women, the Diadora Blushield Speed 5s are on the heavier side for tennis shoes. While Michelle didn't feel especially nimble or speedy in these shoes, she thought the comfort and support were well worth the tradeoff. She said, "These are definitely not light shoes, but the weight was about what I expected for comfortable, durable, stable shoes like this. I didn't feel super quick in them, but I didn't expect that going into this playtest. I'm OK with giving up a little bit on weight and taking a bit more in terms of comfort, support and durability!"

Chris appreciated the weight, and he felt that Diadora utilized it well. He said, "The Blushield Speed 5s felt solid and well put together. Everything was working well for me in these shoes. I was impressed by the level of cushioning, stability, upper comfort, traction and durability. I'd say every ounce in the Blushield Speed 5s was put to good use."

"I liked the weight of these shoes," agreed Erik. "I think they felt lighter than what the scale actually indicates. The slightly heavier weight added to the solid stability."

Kendal wrapped up the playtest, saying, "When I first put on the Blushield Speed 5s I thought they were a little heavier than what I normally play in. The longer the playtest went, the more I got used to their weight. By the end of the playtest I didn't really notice them on my feet, which is a good thing."

Overall - Score: 4.0