I haven’t picked up a Diadora collab in a long while, but these Packer x Diadora N9002 On/Off are really special.
They take inspiration from Diadora’s involvement in Tennis footwear and came out in a pack with another more trainer-like pair. The N9002 is a successor to the N9000 and the model first released in 1992. This collab comes in a specially branded box with special paper, multiple lace options and a fair amount of Packer branding around the shoes. According to the box, this is apparently Diadora’s 70th anniversary.
When putting these together in an outfit, I basically try to play off the grey and offwhite tones instead of the pink or blue. Darker greys, khaki colored denim or other light wash will all look great with these. You can either go full sportswear with some sort of track type outfit to vibe off the tennis theme or keep it more clean cut and respectable with denim and maybe a nice hoodie or crewneck.
One thing I like about these in particular is that the paneling of the shoe is utilized fully to present as many different textures and tones as possible while still having the whole shoe tie together. Many times when shoes try to do something different on each panel, the kick comes out looking way too random. That is not the case here! I fully recommend not sleeping on this collab while there are still pairs out there!
How Are The Materials?
The materials are amazing on these. The leather is advertised as “kangaroo leather”. The shoe features a mix of nubuck, soft buttery suede and shaggier suede. The ankle liner is a terry cloth type of material. The mixture of premium materials on these really helps justify the $200 price tag.
How Do They Fit?
The Packer x Diadora N9002 On/Off fit big. I went down a half size and they are very comfortable at that size, still even a tad roomy but not too bad. Perhaps due to the materials, these are a bit less stiff than other premium Diadoras I’ve owned in the past. The shape on these is pretty good, however I did reshape them anyway for maximum toebox slope.
Where To Cop the Packer x Diadora N9002 On/Off
As of the writing of this article, you can find these on eBay
Colorway: White / Light Grey / Electric Blue – Hot Coral
Style Code: 501.174415 07 20006
Year of Release: 2018
MSRP: $200