Diadora Speed Blushield Fly 4

innoVAShaun

G.O.A.T.
SPEED BLUSHIELD FLY 4 + AG
MSRP: $145.00 USD
Tennis shoes for hard surfaces or clay - Man
WHITE/BLUE CORSAIR/FIERY RED
Item: 101.179507_D0274

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SPEED BLUSHIELD FLY 4 + W AG
$145.00
Tennis shoes for hard surfaces or clay - Women
Colour: WHITE/BLUEPRINT/PINK YARROW
Item: 101.179506_D0257
WEIGHT: 325 gr (0,72 lb) - size 5 UK
Drop: 10
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Also available in clay version:

SPEED BLUSHIELD FLY 4 + CLAY
MSRP: $145.00 USD
Tennis shoes for clay courts - Man
Colour: WHITE/BLUE CORSAIR/FIERY RED
Item: 101.179509_D0274
Weight: 410 gr (0,9 lb) - size 9 UK
Drop: 11

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101.179509_D0274_20_HR.jpg
101.179509_D0274_25_HR.jpg
101.179509_D0274_30_HR.jpg
101.179509_D0274_40_HR.jpg
101.179509_D0274_50_HR.jpg
 
SPEED BLUSHIELD FLY 4 + W CLAY
$145.00
Tennis shoes for clay courts - Women
Colour: WHITE/BLUEPRINT/PINK YARROW
Item: 101.179508_D0257
WEIGHT: 325 gr (0,72 lb) - size 5 UK
DROP: 10

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101.179508_D0257_20_HR.jpg
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No change from the F3, except colorways. I think that's a good thing. Too many companies mess with shoes with "upgrades" and change the characteristics/fit of the shoes. I hope they stick to the ergonomics and fit and just mess with the colors for a long time!
 
Those are the Fly 3 colorways. I had 2 pairs of those. They are the worst colorway shoes I've ever worn but so breathable. durable and cushioned that I don't care if my shoes don't match the outfit! I do wish it had a little thicker medial toe area outsole. My serve wears that area the most and wore through the outsole first there. I must say the Barricade 23s are also comfortable and cushioned and feel lighter. Hope the 13s don't change too much with the new midsole.
 
Will the ankle collar be comfortable?

FRom the photo, the collar looks crooked to the front and would rub your achilles....hopefully not
 
Has anyone tried these as well as the Blushield Torneo? Interesting that these are named ‘speed’ but are heavier.
 
Has anyone tried these as well as the Blushield Torneo? Interesting that these are named ‘speed’ but are heavier.
I have tried these yes. They are not heavier than Torneos though. They still a good weight and even though they are touted as more minimalist they are still not a purely minimalist shoe. NOT SLOW BY ANY MEANS either. Anyways Diadora just uses the word speed to denotes that it is a tennis shoe. Did you have any specific questions? @FloridaAG and @curtstead can also help answer comparison based questions.
 
I have tried these yes. They are not heavier than Torneos though. They still a good weight and even though they are touted as more minimalist they are still not a purely minimalist shoe. NOT SLOW BY ANY MEANS either. Anyways Diadora just uses the word speed to denotes that it is a tennis shoe. Did you have any specific questions? @FloridaAG and @curtstead can also help answer comparison based questions.
Interesting, UK site says these are 5g more but I was surprised as they don’t really look like they would be heavier than the Torneos.

I am looking for something quick but with some support. I currently have Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 5s and like how light they are but playing multiple times per week, I need something that gives more cushioning/protection, even if it’s a compromise in quickness. The Mizuno tongue doesn’t agree with me either.

Couple of questions if you don’t mind:
-How does the sock feel on these vs a regular tongue?
-Are you still able to move around well on the court despite the weight compared to a more minimalist option?
- How is overall comfort/support? I’ll put an orthotic in as well.
 
-How does the sock feel on these vs a regular tongue?
-Are you still able to move around well on the court despite the weight compared to a more minimalist option?
- How is overall comfort/support? I’ll put an orthotic in as well.
1. When you ask "how does the sock feel" do you mean "how does it feel WHEN PUTTING IT ON?" or "how does it feel in terms of thickness?"

2. I only wear maximalist shoes so sadly, I can not answer this question. :( This is why I can't call the Flys "slow" despite the weight since even though they are not "superlight" they are the lightest I have used lol

3. I don't use an orthotic but these are very comfortable. As far as support, is this asking about the lateral stability of the footbed, the containment provided by the uppers, or arch support?

Can't answer without the need for some specificities regarding the ambiguous wording
 
1. When you ask "how does the sock feel" do you mean "how does it feel WHEN PUTTING IT ON?" or "how does it feel in terms of thickness?"

2. I only wear maximalist shoes so sadly, I can not answer this question. :( This is why I can't call the Flys "slow" despite the weight since even though they are not "superlight" they are the lightest I have used lol

3. I don't use an orthotic but these are very comfortable. As far as support, is this asking about the lateral stability of the footbed, the containment provided by the uppers, or arch support?

Can't answer without the need for some specificities regarding the ambiguous wording
No prob - don't need anything too granular!

I actually ordered a pair to see how they feel on foot. Should be here in a couple of days. Will post feedback here if I keep and play with them!
 
Just got my pair in the post. Unfortunately they are far too tight for my foot shape as the toebox comes to a much narrower point than the product images show.

That said, they had a ton of padding all around and feel very well made. Solid but not too heavy. I'll probably shop around for a different brand rather than ordering in a size up.
 
Just got my pair in the post. Unfortunately they are far too tight for my foot shape as the toebox comes to a much narrower point than the product images show.

That said, they had a ton of padding all around and feel very well made. Solid but not too heavy. I'll probably shop around for a different brand rather than ordering in a size up.
I love the Fly Speed 3/4s, because they fit me well and are very well cushioned, while giving me good feedback and stability. But as you found out, the narrowing forefoot does affect people with more even distal phalanges (smaller toes) lengths. Diadora is Italian and I suspect their model has the typical Morton's foot (aka Mountain or Greek) shape, which is quite prevalent in the Med. I tried to warn people when I wrote a review of the shoe in '22.

Interesting, UK site says these are 5g more but I was surprised as they don’t really look like they would be heavier than the Torneos.

I am looking for something quick but with some support. I currently have Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 5s and like how light they are but playing multiple times per week, I need something that gives more cushioning/protection, even if it’s a compromise in quickness. The Mizuno tongue doesn’t agree with me either.

Couple of questions if you don’t mind:
-How does the sock feel on these vs a regular tongue?
-Are you still able to move around well on the court despite the weight compared to a more minimalist option?
- How is overall comfort/support? I’ll put an orthotic in as well.
I find the Speed a great competition shoe. Breathable and comfortable with nice padding. My custom CF orthotic fits with no problem, but I have a neutral arch, true D foot, so my foot fits is very well. I also have a real biased preference for sock style shoes, and the top of the Speed sock is excellently padded, so locking down the shoe doesn't cause any discomfort. The Torneo 2s are similarly padded but is overly spacious for my foot, and the Speed eliminates that issue with the sock system.
 
My gripe with Diadora is that their colorways are very very basic. I wish they made some that are less primary colors, and also more darker clay shoes that are not white (as they turn orange)
 
I saw the gray/blue version in the store, and just bought the older colorways on sale instead. Designwise still uninspired, but the shoe is my favorite for tournament play, especially when there is multiple matches on the same day. One of the few shoes my lower legs, especially feet, don't feel overly achy after 3+ hours on a painted cement style hard court, especially in the hot sun.

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I saw the gray/blue version in the store, and just bought the older colorways on sale instead. Designwise still uninspired, but the shoe is my favorite for tournament play, especially when there is multiple matches on the same day. One of the few shoes my lower legs, especially feet, don't feel overly achy after 3+ hours on a painted cement style hard court, especially in the hot sun.

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Yes very underrated shoe. Should be more popular. Great prices too. Not sure how the opinions of a single individual has managed to completely decimate the sales figures for this shoe, but I do find that to be very funny.
 
True, great shoe... except that on the clay the upper becomes reddish; with the spring/summer 2024 colorway the reddish color is less noticeable because it has red inserts... After all, the main testimonial, Struff, is a guarantee of the validity of the same :)
 
That's true of all shoes on clay, but especially bad on mesh. PU does well with washing but white is probably the worst color for stains of any kind, regardless of material.
 
Does the Diadora Speed Blushield Fly 4 run true to size? If I'm size 10 in Asics resolution 9 what should I order in Fly 4? 10 or 10.5? I read some reviews saying to go up a size, others to stick with regular size.
 
Will have to see - I went with my true 10.5 - The Fly3 that did not work great for me were 10s as I wore with the Blueshield Speed5 and the Torneos - that was too small for me. Am hoping the 10.5 give me enough room - they do in the Finales which are fairly similar - Going to an 11 has never worked for me so will see when I get them
 
Will have to see - I went with my true 10.5 - The Fly3 that did not work great for me were 10s as I wore with the Blueshield Speed5 and the Torneos - that was too small for me. Am hoping the 10.5 give me enough room - they do in the Finales which are fairly similar - Going to an 11 has never worked for me so will see when I get them
Please let us know because the Fly3 in 10US is 44EU or 280mm while the Fly4 in 10.5US is ALSO 44EU or 280mm

You may have literally gotten the same size!
 
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Yes very underrated shoe. Should be more popular. Great prices too. Not sure how the opinions of a single individual has managed to completely decimate the sales figures for this shoe, but I do find that to be very funny.
Whose opinion?
 
Ha ha. I played 3 sets of Doubles in them today. Laced using runner's know. Not sure about the length comparison to the 3 - but these definitely fit me better than the 3 - I personally still think they are too soft for my preference but they were very comfortable and my snakebit left foot (bunyon caused by the NB Fresh Foam Lav - thanks a lot NB) felt great in them today.

So based on only one wearing - to me they do not perform as well as the Torneo but my feet were much happier in the Fly. I was in my standard 10.5 and the toe length was fine and the width ok for me as they are fairly soft uppers
 
Ha ha. I played 3 sets of Doubles in them today. Laced using runner's know. Not sure about the length comparison to the 3 - but these definitely fit me better than the 3 - I personally still think they are too soft for my preference but they were very comfortable and my snakebit left foot (bunyon caused by the NB Fresh Foam Lav - thanks a lot NB) felt great in them today.

So based on only one wearing - to me they do not perform as well as the Torneo but my feet were much happier in the Fly. I was in my standard 10.5 and the toe length was fine and the width ok for me as they are fairly soft uppers
do you have a scale by chance? I am curious if the weight info on the description page is accurate. It says 14.5 ounces (US size 10.5)
 
The toebox is wide, I also need slightly wider than medium @norcal .

@d-quik the weight of size 10 is 14.55. I was surprised the insoles are decent quality compared to Asics & Adidas. I still run ortho insoles for better stability.
 
The toebox is wide, I also need slightly wider than medium @norcal .

@d-quik the weight of size 10 is 14.55. I was surprised the insoles are decent quality compared to Asics & Adidas. I still run ortho insoles for better stability.
Thanks man, good to know. Ordered them a couple days ago (ordered 10.5, reg sz is 10), will check back in with a comparison to my other shoes.
 
Thanks man, good to know. Ordered them a couple days ago (ordered 10.5, reg sz is 10), will check back in with a comparison to my other shoes.
Do you have a scale? Is it possible to confirm for us the measurements present on the product's description page?
 
Do you have a scale? Is it possible to confirm for us the measurements present on the product's description page?
Actual weight of my 10.5 on scale - 15 ounces or 425 grams

As for the toe box, it is reasonably wide although narrower in reality than the Torneo or Finale I think. However, because the uppers are much much softer - they feel as wide or wider
 
According to my scale a 10.5 is 14.8 oz or 419 grams (right shoe was 416 grams)

First impression: toebox width is perfect (for me) and these are the best stock insoles I've ever had - I always replace with a Dr Scholl's Running insole (heavyish but great) and these feel as cushioned with the original (feels like gel under the forefoot).

Also feels like I can step on the court with these, I normally walk the dog for a week first but I may play on these tomorrow, something I never do.

I went up a 1/2 size and these fit like a glove, sz 10 would have been way too small.
 
According to my scale a 10.5 is 14.8 oz or 419 grams (right shoe was 416 grams)

First impression: toebox width is perfect (for me) and these are the best stock insoles I've ever had - I always replace with a Dr Scholl's Running insole (heavyish but great) and these feel as cushioned with the original (feels like gel under the forefoot).

Also feels like I can step on the court with these, I normally walk the dog for a week first but I may play on these tomorrow, something I never do.

I went up a 1/2 size and these fit like a glove, sz 10 would have been way too small.
any regret for not getting on these sooner? or just grateful to have stumbled upon such a pleasant discovery? both?
 
any regret for not getting on these sooner? or just grateful to have stumbled upon such a pleasant discovery? both?
Hah, I guess we'll see after I play with them. After running around with the dog I realized I miss the support of my insoles...but mine are so heavy in comparison (40g more per! 24/65).

But yeah for $48 I'm gonna wish I got another pair if they are as good as they initially feel.

Other shoes I use and fit well - Hyper Court Supreme 1, Sole Match Control 1, Bab Fury 3, Bab Evo...so we'll see how Diadora compares.
 
Played in the stock insoles yesterday, great shoes even with minimal break in.

If you're on the fence this is still a great deal at $59, just go up 1/2 size.
 
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