Diadora Atomo Star Review
By Matthew Klein
Diadora Atomo StarPrice: $250 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.7 oz, 275 g (men's size 9), 7.4 oz, 210 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 46 mm heel / 40 mm forefoot
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Non-Plated Super Stack Height Daily Trainer
Pros: Smooth Transition/Geometry, Great Cushioning
Cons: Extremely Expensive, Narrow Forefoot/Harsh Toe Guard, Loose Heel
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Diadora Atomo Star is a super stack height daily training shoe for those who want a narrow fitting, rockered shoe for daily miles and long runs. A full-length ANIMA N2 midsole provides a softer and slightly bouncy feel that, combined with a rockered geometry, creates a smooth rolling ride. A snug, double-layer nylon air mesh sits up top, creates a snug but slowly adaptable fit up top that takes time to break in, like an Italian leather shoe. A shoe that takes time to break in but easily grinds through training, the Diadora Atomo Star is for those with dollars to spend and major miles to run.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Glideride Max, Nike Vomero Plus
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Diadora Atomo Star fits to size once it breaks in, but feels slightly short initially due to an aggressive toe guard. The fit in the toe box is quite narrow and low volume, although after 25 miles this has broken into a normal width fit in the forefoot with a tapered toe box. The aggressive and extended toe guard does create a ton of structure up front and will dramatically improve durability for those who tear through that part of the upper. Due to the low volume, it does press down on the toes. This bothered me initially but not after the shoe broke in. The snug forefoot transitions into a normal width heel with a thicker, gusseted tongue. The tongue is well padded, which allows for the laces to be tightened down. This tightening is required as the heel fits wider. I have had some heel slippage and lace locking or really tightening the laces has been required. There is a large amount of padding in the heel, however most of this sits high up and not low. There is a stiff and prominent heel counter, which the padding only protects the Achilles insertion but not the heel bone from. Thus, those with Haglund deformities will not do well with this shoe, while those wanting a stiff counter with extra padding higher up will do well. The inner aspect of the liner is extremely comfortable except for the toe guard, which is quite abrasive, so at least thin socks are required with this shoe.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Mildly
How Flexible is the Shoe: No
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Somewhat
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly:
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Diadora Atomo Star is a super stack height daily training shoe. The midsole is Anima N2, which feels moderately soft and bouncy underfoot. It does not feel like a full super foam, but is balanced and comfortable. The weight is lighter for such a large shoe, coming in at mid 9 oz for men's size 9. This, combined with the pleasant bounce of the midsole, makes the Atomo Star feel light on foot during easy and long runs. This is also due to the rockered nature of the geometry. There is a larger heel bevel that contributes to an easy heel transition. The long pods on the sides of the midsole compress gently under weight, making the lateral heel transition smooth despite what appears to be a centered bevel. The forefoot starts early and is quite large. This creates an easy transition off the toes. There is a tiny bit of flexibility up front that begins when the shoe breaks in after 20-30 miles. However, the Atomo Star is not a flexible shoe and will do well for those who want less flexibility and a rockered geometry instead. The larger size and easier transitions make this shoe best for easy runs, long runs and some uptempo efforts. The same factors also make it difficult to run faster in the Atomo Star. Tempo efforts and faster are a bit difficult given the easier transitions.
Those running slower may still find this to be a less aggressive but protective marathon shoe, while others will find this best for daily training. Surface-wise, the Atomo Star is best for road and smooth surfaces. The grip is decent on wet and dry road. On trail it is less secure due to its exposed midsole on the bottom and smoother outsole. I have taken this shoe on trail and found it a bit unsteady as expected. I would keep this shoe to road where it belongs and excels. If kept on the road, the durability is extremely good. Despite the outsole not being full coverage and being in patches, there is only a little wear after 40 miles in my pair. I have not torn the heel outsole off, there is only a tiny bit of wear on the exposed ANIMA N2 midsole and the midsole feels exactly the same as my first miles. Thus far, durability seems above average for a daily training shoe.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Diadora Atomo Star is a neutral shoe. There are no traditional methods of stability, but there are a few guidance methods. The most prominent are the sidewalls in the rearfoot and posterior midfoot. These do a decent job of keeping the heel centered along with a decent amount of both medial and lateral sole flare. The midfoot sole does taper slightly, but is not extreme. The forefoot also has decent sole flare although feels somewhat guided more due to the large forefoot rocker. This results in a neutral shoe that will work for those who have mild guidance needs in the rearfoot but not significant stability needs.
Thoughts as a DPT: Breaking Shoes In vs. Fitting Right Away
By Matthew Klein
For many years, the common advice on shoes was that they needed to be broken in to be comfortable. All shoes were stiff and tight-fitting at first, but once worn for a while, they would "adapt" to your foot. How much of that is actually true, compared to your body just adapting to excessive pressure or discomfort is unknown. In today's world, footwear design and our understanding of how shoes should fit has progressed significantly. The current standard is that shoes should be comfortable and fit well the second you put them on, with only a minor break-in need. Much of this is influenced by the comfort paradigms, including the RUN-CAT scale and other bits of research that suggest how a shoe fits on your foot is a large indicator of how well it may work for you.
This concept is quite different from the Italian leather shoe concept, whereby wearing the shoe helps the upper break in and adapt to your foot. Some may argue that this just requires some patience, but our understanding of feet in footwear has dramatically changed. We know that the foot needs to be appropriately secured within a shoe to prevent skin abrasions like blisters. However, we also know that feet need to be able to move. Completely locking the foot down and stopping all motion, especially at the forefoot, can cause excessive pressure on bones, nerves and other important tissues that need space. In fact, some of this movement is important for shock absorption within the foot and ankle. We know that toes need space medially and laterally to spread because that is one of many ways to absorb the forces of impact. Completely eliminating that motion prevents this method of shock absorption. This is why I often common on the shape of the toe box, as a tapered toe box reduces the bodies ability to perform this motion (task) associated with shock absorption.
It is for those reasons that I suggest most companies, when designing shoes in high impact sports like running, reconsider using traditional shoe design concepts. The fashion world can have its own set of rules (and poor impacts on foot health), but when you add high levels of forces, things become much more injurious rather than causing pathologies later on. The Atomo Star's upper has broken in after some decent wear but I wonder if the Italian footwear design knowledge can be combined with current concepts of foot biomechanics and health to find a happy medium. What that looks like, I don't exactly know because I am a biomechanist and clinician, not a footwear designer.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Atomo Star took a while for me to break in. The narrow forefoot and aggressive toe guard took 30 miles to get comfortable. Like an Italian leather shoe, it needed to shape itself to my foot. However, for $250 I would expect that to immediately be comfortable and the heel to not be so loose. While I have enjoyed the midsole and its smooth transition, much of my recommendations are in the upper. The first is to fix the odd fit. I do not understand why the forefoot is so narrow and the heel is wide. It is rare for people to have feet shaped like that. I understand "breaking in" the upper, but do so in a way that allows the whole upper, not just part of it, to do that. Plus, a little more room for the toes is preferred over less, given the numerous musculoskeletal/neuromuscular pathologies that can occur as a result from a narrow forefoot/toe box.
My other suggestion is to even out the padding in front of the heel counter. Uneven padding higher on the heel compared to the lower part seems to be really common in this day and age. This causes the padding to push into the Achilles tendon while the heel sits directly against the stiff counter. This makes no sense and provides more pressure into sensitive structures than protection. I would either even this out or modify the heel counter so that the posterior section is softer to protect the sensitive calcaneus. I am not surprised by this upper at all given that fits what I would expect from an Italian design, but our modern understanding of foot health and biomechanics needs to be better integrated. Especially at this price point.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Diadora Atomo Star is a super stack height daily training shoe for those wanting a snug fit, rockered and softer ride for daily training. The upper will work best for those who want a snug and tapered forefoot and who are not bothered by a strong toe guard. The upper does break in but it takes time. The ride will work best for those who want a rockered but not plated shoe with a large amount of cushioning underfoot. The Atomo Star works best for easy and long miles, so those looking to hit high mileage may want to consider this shoe. I understand this shoe is "handmade in Italy", but $250 is steep for a taller shoe that doesn't have a true super foam underfoot. I do like the midsole (it is my favorite part of the shoe), but the price sets it in a premium place that the upper and components don't quite get to. Like the Gara Carbon, the price is louder than the shoe and more work needs to be done before that price point is justified. It is still a great shoe, but is far more expensive than competing super trainers and training shoes that have similar if not better, components. The ride is really nice, so if the upper can be adjusted to match how nice the midsole is, then maybe that price may be more understandable.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: C (Tapered and narrow forefoot that does break in with a wide heel that slips. Definitely lace lock this shoe)
Performance: B+ (Rockered, comfortable, moderately bouncy ride that rolls along during easy and long miles. Lighter but not speed versatile)
Stability: B+ [Neutral] (Decent guidance in the heel while a rocker keeps things moving forward)
Value: C ($250 while not being a full super trainer is really expensive. At least it is durable)
Personal: B (I really like the ride of the shoe but the upper makes me struggle with this shoe)
Overall Design: B-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORDiadora Atomo StarPrice: $250 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
Lightweight daily performance shoe.
Lightweight, max cushion trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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