Comfortable and durable, Diadora Blueshield Torneo 2 are not the most performance-oriented shoes.
Some time ago, I wrote about my great experience with the Lotto Hyperpulse Raptor Clay and how my love affair with them, shorter than the more famous 500 days of Summer, was abruptly interrupted by unexpected cracks in the forefoot area of the shoes.
As any lover who’s left with no notice, alone, disappointed and depressed, I couldn’t find the energy to start fresh and search for the next tennis shoes of my life. Though, as it often happens in the best rom-coms, I stumbled across an unexpected stranger: a pair of Diadora Blueshield Torneo 2 (and let’s overlook the fact that they caught my attention because they were massively reduced, that wouldn’t fit the start of a lifelong love story).
Unexpected because, let’s be honest, even though I have recently decided to select my string and racket gear under the assumption that what’s good for the pros most likely is not at all good for me (if not detrimental), I also honestly don’t think this approach would make sense with shoes and apparel in general (a part from tank tops: they might look good on Ben Shelton or Alexander Zverev, still debatable, but I would definitely discourage anyone else to wear one!).
On top of that, apart from Borg in the seventies, Becker in the eighties and myself in the nineties, nowadays one doesn’t get to see many pros sporting Diadora shoes (I am joking of course, I was never a pro, not even in the nineties, unfortunately, but I did wear Diadora shoes!). In fact, even the last Mohawk (quite literally, considering his, also debatable, hair-cut) Alexander Davidovich Fokina, until not long ago endorsing Diadora, recently switched to Adidas, thus leaving the forgettable, although always likeable, Jan-Lennard Struff, as the last Diadora herald. Long gone are the times of the Tottis, Baggios and Weahs (remember? He was the first one sporting non-black, indeed very red, football boots!) in which Diadora ruled the field of top professional sportsmen’s footwear!
Does all of the above mean that Diadora makes bad, poor quality shoes? Not at all! Maybe, it’s rather just the sign that they have decided to invest their marketing effort elsewhere I am not aware of. But why take a risk with so many other options available? The sticker saying 60% off was screaming “That’s why, lol!”.
Being such a risk-averse investor, I browsed the internet in search of reviews and found very little. Only the omni-present and very reliable Dr Foot Zach, a regular feature in Jonas’ podcast, with a very positive and enthusiastic review about the Diadora Torneo, our friend Michele Schirru from the Lost in Tennis channel and nothing else. I branded all the courage I had with both my hands, decided that Zach and Michele’s opinions were enough and off my pointing finger pressed Buy. I was overly excited at the perspective of such a risky move!
As always, look and aesthetic is very personal, but I must admit that as soon as they arrived, I found the Torneo less offensive to the eye than the Raptor. They are a clear understatement; what I mean is that they don’t even try to look cool, as Lotto (badly failing, at least in my opinion) is instead attempting with the Raptor. The Torneo, being Italian as they are, rather than a flamboyant Lamborghini, they resemble more the sort of submissive, humble, self-mocking style. If they were a song, I think they would sound like El purtava i scarp del tennis (el parlava inscì per lu): a normal pair of shoes, sort of content with their 9 to 5 regular job, all routine and no razmataz, but with something special inside. Was I right?
My review of the Diadora Blueshield Torneo 2
Alright, on with the fitting. Definitely more roomy than the Raptor, but to the point that for me was too much. I got the length of the shoe alright, but the way it is built lacks the enveloping feel that made the Raptor almost become one thing with the sock and the foot. The rim around the ankle is definitely lower and my impression is that they saved a bit on the internal upper cushioning on the Achilles’. As a consequence, there is a bit of heel slipping when walking/running; the shoe lags a bit behind your foot. Not much really, but enough to notice it and to take away some of that confidence in sprinting and make sudden changes of direction. A no-brainer solution was to wear slightly thicker socks; but in this area, the Torneo are definitely a downgrade compared to the Lottos. And for me, a major one. Possibly, even a deal-breaker.
And then it came the something special from the inside. What immediately impressed me is the cushioning along the whole length of the sole. It feels super comfortable and really bouncy. Diadora calls this technology Diattivo, sort of saying that the sole proactively supports your foot. Well, to me it works. Have you ever worn a pair of Dr. Martens shoes? That feeling of walking on a sort of trampolin kind of, but as soft as a cloud? Well, the Torneo reminded me exactly of that. And I like it very much!
Another aspect that I like very much about these shoes is that, after five months of intense use, there is no sign of consumption. And mind you, the five-month-mark is exactly when the Raptor started to crack. It is true that, differently from the Raptor, the mesh net is limited to the upper-part of the forefoot, I suppose to help breathability, and also that the whole side of the shoe is made of a somewhat more resistant material. However, despite my heavy foot-dragging, the shoes are holding up very well. And I should add that yes, they lose somewhat in flexibility and softness compared to the Lottos, but they don’t feel stiffer at all. All in all, I would say they are a good compromise.
What I have come to dislike a lot in these months though are the laces. They are way too long, thin and soft. They always get stuck somewhere, it’s difficult to grab them and pull them out and if you tie them tight, it becomes a nightmare to untie them. Details? Sure, but that’s what makes the difference, right? Not a big problem though: I replaced them with the Raptor’s laces (remember, Lotto even provides you with two of them in different colours – to match your mood. I am joking, of course).
In relation to the sole, I got the clay version, the grip is very good. I have never had a problem being stable, both on outdoor real red clay and on indoor all-year artificial red clay. Nothing much to add on that side.
In terms of breathability they lack something in comparison to the Raptor and that is most likely due the smaller mesh/net surface present in the shoes. Upside of it, as mentioned above, is proving the durability aspect. I guess ultimately it really depends on which factor is most relevant to you and on the weather conditions you usually play in.
Last but not least, no treat from Diadora: no second pair of thicker in-soles and no second pair of shoe laces. Again, details, certainly not a deal breaker but a nice touch, or rather a lack thereof.
Very last word on the packaging. Since Jonas very rightfully points out how little sustainable is this very sport of ours, I am happy to support him in this direction and spend a word to commend Diadora’s packaging. Diadora’s box is made of 100% recycled materials, makes no use of plastic and prints all the shoes info (size table, gender, etc.) directly on the box, in this way avoiding the use of plastic stickers. Well done Diadora!
Conclusion
In sum, would I trade my old Raptor with the Torneo? Yes and no. Allow me to explain.
Considering the less intensity of the winter season, during which, at least I personally play more training hours than competitive matches, and add on top the fact that very often I play on a surface, carpet, for which I need a different pair of shoes, I think the Torneo are a very good, let’s call it, winter/off-season solution. My impression is that the Torneo is very much a less oriented performance shoe than the Raptor and, if you buy them for that purpose, for sure you won’t be disappointed. Support and durability are Torneo’s best assets one can rely on, whereas, on the contrary, they cannot match other models (not just the Raptor) for reactivity, speed, flexibility and fit. For matches though, I think other models might provide that extra bit of confidence everyone can benefit from.
Where to buy?
You can find the Diadora Blueshield Torneo 2 shoes from Tennis Warehouse (USA, Canada), Tennis Warehouse Europe (10% discount with code TNERD10) or Tennis Only (AU).