BRANDON: Every now and then, a shoe comes along and surprises us. I won’t beat around the bush, this was that shoe for me. Diadora shoes have been somewhat underwhelming so far, at least for me. The Diadora Blushield Mythos Vigore changes the game and my perception of the brand. Even better is that Diadora doesn’t stray far from its proprietary technology and roots.
The use of their well-cushioned Blushield technology foam blended with the TRX system provides a smooth ride underfoot. This shoe screams comfort. If you’re looking for an enjoyable and relaxed ride for those easy mile days, this is an excellent shoe. Not only that, but the shoe looks great and is perfect for wearing out, too.
At $170, it’s not cheap, which is my biggest knock against it. I guarantee this daily trainer is competitive in durability and cost per mile, but that money will be burning a hole in most consumers’ pockets. I see this shoe getting you around 500 miles, no problem.
ALDREN: Meatballs, marinara, and the Diadora Mythos Vigore — three ingredients to catch any Italian’s eyes on the road. Even if you lack the meat and sauce, the Vigore is enough to make you look fly on your runs. I use that term loosely, though. At just under 12 oz, the blend of tech in the Mythos Vigore provides a soft and stable ride.
While other companies focus on a trainer for each specific running category (race day, tempo, recovery, etc.), Diadora’s approach is to have a shoe that can do it all based on the runner’s preference. The Atomo is for someone with a more cushioned selection, the Volo is for a firmer daily trainer, and the Corsa is the lightweight option. Now, the Vigore is here to take up the stability mantle in the family.
The Vigore is the first shoe from Diadora to have a soft DD Anima midsole and a top layer of Blushield. This duo, along with a wider construction and TRX System, creates a stable ride that most runners in the stability market are looking for. With a 10mm offset (34mm in the heel/24mm in the toe), the Vigore, on paper, seems like a solidly stable shoe.
But who knows? I guess you’ll have to keep reading to find out.
MERCER: The Italian beasts have created a matching beast of a shoe. They put every tech in their toolbox into this shoe, with the Blushield bottom, TRX system, and some gelato-sweet DD Anima midsole foam. My first look and the experience of taking it out of the box made me nervous. It was so heavy, and everything about it just screamed blocky and unfun. But wow, let me tell you that this shoe was like Colin Farrell as Penguin — it looks goofy, but it very nearly outmatched Batman.
BRANDON: Despite the price, there are many great things to be said about this shoe. The ride is incredibly comfortable, and the upper fits nice and snug. Generally, I don’t enjoy the large, puffy tongues, but this one is well gusseted and protects the top of my foot nicely. The upper is engineered mesh nylon with some TPU overlays for added protection and durability in vulnerable areas.
The DD Anima midsole doesn’t disappoint, either. Diadora’s EVA blend helps absorb shock, so long run days feel nice and soft. I took this shoe out on three different runs, one of which was over a half marathon in length. All three really sang for me. This shoe is great to take out on crappier weather days with its high stack and protective upper.
ALDREN: First impressions are everything to me. One of the girls I train with at my local running club graduated from a rival high school to mine. She repped her old team’s shirt the first day of practice and, since then, I haven’t been a fan of hers. She’s an absolute delight, but something about that first impression didn’t catch my vibe.
Where was I going with this?
Oh, right — so my first impression of the Diadora Mythos Vigore was love at first step. The shoe has so much padding along the inside that it molds around your foot as you lace up. The upper is made from a breathable engineered two-toned nylon mesh that keeps the inside cool in the 80-degree weather in the Sunshine State. Finishing off the upper is a cage-like cradle that secures the saddle of your foot.
This positive may come up as a negative, but this shoe rides smoother than Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Vigore has a thoughtless transition from heel-to-toe thanks to the wider geometry of the midsole and TRX system. No matter where your foot strike is, there is a shock-absorbing layer of Blushield. This somewhat sets the Diadora Mythos Vigore as the perfect cool-down trainer. After a hard effort in a pair of racing flats, the stability of the Vigore feels like butter.
I’m not sure what the approach was looks-wise, but I like this decoupled heel look. Like the Puma Fast-R and Brooks Aurora, it makes the Vigore look like it’s a lot higher stack than it feels. This retro neon green, black, and white look reminds me of chugging Monster Energy to stay up playing Halo 3 on my brother’s Xbox 360.
MERCER: Nothing about this shoe should work, but everything about it just does. I was taking this out at an 8 flat pace and was able to drop into around 6:30 with relative ease. Did I enjoy going at 6:30 pace? Not really, it isn’t what this shoe is for, but you can do it if you want.
The engineered two-toned mesh in the front was the best part of this upper. It’s thin and breathable and felt really nice on foot without any extra room. It would probably pair nicely with a pinot noir.
The DD Anima combined with the Blushield is a killer one-two punch that would have Italy changing their stance on quite a few things. You’ll definitely have a sink-in feeling like most high cushion shoes, but what this shoe does differently is the implementation of the Blushield. It makes sure you aren’t doing a bunch of work to get the best out of the foam, unlike some higher cushion shoes.
Diadora’s TRX system provided some standard stability and fixed my Leaning Tower of Pisa ankles, but it was nothing overbearing, so your average strong ankled runners don’t feel overwhelmed by the stability aspect.
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BRANDON: There are some knocks against this shoe besides the hefty $170 price tag. For starters, it’s pretty heavy. My US M9 came in around 11.8 oz or 334 grams. Don’t expect it to be a fast or nimble race day option. It’s a max cushion stability trainer, and if you use it accordingly, you should have no issues at all. Everything about the Diadora Mythos Vigore is thick and bulky. The upper isn’t wonderfully breathable, the midsole is a little chunky and clunky, and the outsole adds to the weight problem.
ALDREN: I’ve been trying to ignore the elephant in the room, more like the Vigore in the room, because they basically weigh the same. The 11.8 oz didn’t bother me until around 6 or 7 miles into the run when it felt like I was dragging my feet along. Robbe also suggested that I have weak legs, but I’m working on it. No matter, this shoe feels like I’m a grandma wearing ankle weights in my Zumba classes.
As stated in “The Good,” I don’t think this shoe will be stable enough for your everyday stability shoe user. Those looking for a more secure feel and needing a heavier posting should stray away. Stick to something like the Brooks Beast or Saucony Omni.
MERCER: Unlike Aldren, I felt just like Caesar’s army with this shoe — everything going on in the shoe felt like it was trying to correct a little too much for me.
The lacing system never really worked either, no matter how many times I tried fixing it. It always felt really light along my midfoot, but I’m willing to tough it out because I love this midsole so much.
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BRANDON: The Diadora Blushield Mythos Vigore is a hidden gem among stones. I highly recommend this daily trainer for anyone who prioritizes durability and comfort in their everyday training. The shoe is versatile as both a running and lifestyle shoe. For me, this shoe gets the green light. Diadora knocked this one out of the park.
Most of the time, Diadora’s running shoes get undeservedly skipped in the conversation. Well here you have it, Diadora has entered the chat, and it intends to stay too. This is one to keep an eye on.
ALDREN: My biggest struggle with the Mythos Vigore was where it fit in my rotation. Basically, all my runs under 6 miles or those slow recovery jogs are when this shoe sings. I wish I had a comparable stability shoe for you, but the Mythos Vigore is somewhat in a category of its own. Think of a softer Asics Kayano Lite 2 or a Brooks Glycerin GTS 19 with a Trusstic instead of the Guide Rails. That’s the best I got.
I’d recommend giving this shoe a try. Diadora is going places in the running world, and shoes like the Vigore will help broaden their horizons even further.
MERCER: I like what Diadora is doing, being able to make a shoe for every distance and speed into one. However, just like pasta, there are a ton of other shapes and styles that tend to do the same thing — something like the Glycerin GTS 19 or Nike Invincible springs to mind.
You can pick up the Diadora Blushield Mythos Vigore for $170 from Holabird Sports by using the shop link below.
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