Being Italian-American, I knew I’d have to give this brand a try. These Diadora N9000 NYL French Blue seem like a good first foray into the Italy-based shoe maker’s offerings.
The N9000 itself is originally an early 90s running shoe. The N supposedly stands for Neutral as it was initially created as a basic running shoe. Diadora hasn’t really caught on that much in the United States thanks to the dominance of some other brands here. Which is great, because it allows us to grab pairs that everyone else disregards and lets go for cheap.
How Are The Materials?
The materials on these are a mixed bag. While I find the suede around the eyelets to be a pleasing texture, the rest of the suede feels rough and cheap. The overall build of the shoe is solid, yet breezy and lightweight. These are all positive aspects. Ultimately, this is another pair where the colorway and look wins out over the quality of materials.
How Do They Fit?
These Diadora N9000 NYL French Blue fit true to size and are really comfortable. The toebox is a little tall and the rubber bit right on the tip prevents these from being fully reshaped. I wrangled it into a decent look after repeated passes bending the toebox. These provide the same feel that other retro runners provide, which is to say they are basic but comfy with a decent amount of support. If you don’t have a pair of Diadoras yet, this shoe is definitely worth picking up, but not on the basis of material quality.
Where To Cop the Diadora N9000
As of the writing of this article, you can find N9000s on eBay
Colorway: Blue/White
Style Code: 160827-01-C3719
Year of Release: 2015
MSRP: $130