Tag: diadora

Reviewing Diadora’s new comfy, vegan running shoe

Here’s the rundown.

The new Mythos Blushield Volo 4 W 2030 is currently my favorite running shoe. When I first put them on, they felt cushier than my regular shoes and a bit too big. They also featured a wider toe box. For a minute, I was worried I might trip. But I didn’t. Instead, the shoes felt broken in immediately. No sore soles with these comfy shoes. 

Diadora describes the Mythos Blushield Volo 4 W 2030 as “the ideal choice for quick sprints over short distances or extended low-intensity workouts.” See what goes into making these running shoes in the breakdown below, and research other shoe options in this gear guide.

A white running shoe.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

Materials

Mythos Blushield Volo 4 W 2030 is part of the Diadora 2030 project, a series of goals the company is working toward for a greener future. The shoe uses only vegan materials. The upper is made from recycled polyester mesh and virgin polyester. The midsole is 40% EVA, partially biosynthesized from by-products of sugar cane processing. The laces are 100% recycled polyester.

While I like to buy used clothing, I avoid used running shoes because of the worn-down treads. You can feel good about buying new shoes from a manufacturer working so hard to protect the environment.

A pair of white running shoes.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

Aesthetics and design

The women’s Mythos Blushield Volo 2030 comes in white with purple trim. The men’s is white with black and cayenne accents. I’m not a fan of white shoes, so I wish this design came in more colors. But aside from that, it’s a cute design. I especially like the diagonal stripe of cork inset and the angular purple zigzags around the laces.

You can tell the design team took their time plotting out every detail. The loop on the heel is handy for pulling the shoes on. The tongue is also noticeably thin.

White running shoes in a brown box.
Photo by Teresa Bergen

About Diadora

An Italian brand, Diadora was founded in 1948 with global headquarters in Caerano di San Marco in northern Italy. Diadora’s North American headquarters is in Philadelphia. While the company started as an artisan hiking boot brand, it now manufactures clothing, running shoes, accessories like visors, and even specialized pickleball shoes.

Bryan Poerner, CEO of Diadora USA, is a long-time vegan. But he doesn’t take credit for the brand using many sustainable and vegan materials. “In general, all companies are always going to look for sustainable alternatives when they make sense,” he said. “And we’re no different. The company is led by people who believe in that sort of thing. But I don’t think it’s an anomaly. I think it’s the way of the future.”

Writer received a free sample from Diadora for review.

Meet Bryan Poerner, the punk rock, vegan CEO of Diadora USA

See how punk rock and running collide.

Bryan Poerner, CEO of sports brand Diadora USA, spent his early career bringing two seemingly unrelated things together: punk rock and running. He grew up both a runner and a musician in the 1990s. 

“There were no runners in the punk scene,” he said. “I would go straight from my track practice to play band practice or shows. It was two different groups of friends.”

A guitar, bass player, and vocalist, Poerner founded his own independent label, Track Star Records, in high school. “In every record label, we would have a small bio of runners,” he said. “It looked like a punk flyer. It was still done in the punk aesthetic.” He always liked bringing his two worlds together. “To me, they were the two most important parts of my life.” Some of his bands’ songs are about running, such as “Steeplechase” by Hour of the Star.

Bryan Poerner, Diadora USA CEO, flashing a peace sign in a mirror as he takes a selfie outside on the street.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Poerner

The ’90s hardcore scene introduced him to topics like gay rights, feminism, and veganism. He read John Robbins’ 1987 classic “Diet for a New America,” went to see rapper and animal rights activist KRS-One, and became vegan at age 16. “I got turned on to animal rights,” he explains. “The song ‘Beef‘ from Boogie Down Productions was like…one of the first vegetarian songs. Changed my life.”

Poerner’s college track coaches were skeptical of veganism. “Back in the ’90s, even when I went to college, my coach would say, ‘Hey you should really eat meat or fish once or twice a week or you’re not going to get better.’ But he was an old-school coach. Nine months later, a year later, I set a couple of records at the school. And he changed his mind. He started asking me about food and nutrition.”

Poerner stresses that he’s not a nutritionist, but he eats a lot of whole foods like brown rice, broccoli, tofu, sweet potatoes, and beets. He also fuels his running with almonds, bagels, dried mangoes, and dried jackfruit. “Normal stuff,” he calls it. Still, he might consume gels if he’s on a long run and needs something that digests faster than a banana.

His work in the sporting goods industry began about 15 years ago. Back then, he was repping a different brand. Now, he’s leading the team at Diadora. “I got really lucky,” he said, “I got asked to be part of the rebirth of Diadora in the U.S.”

A person with their arms spread wide in front of a gravel trail near mountains and forest.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Poerner

Diadora was founded in Italy in 1948 as an artisan hiking boot brand. In the 1960s, Diadora expanded into sports, making an international name for itself by the 1980s. The brand created its heritage line in the early 2000s, blending sportswear and fashion with a little nostalgia. Diadora’s global headquarters is in Caerano di San Marco in northern Italy. Poerner is president of the North American headquarters in Philadelphia.

“We do running, tennis, soccer, and heritage. Which is like an homage to all of our sport shoes in the past,” Poerner explained. “But the primary focus of the brand is sport.”

Some of Diadora’s shoes are vegan-friendly, and the company emphasizes sustainability. “I think it’s our industry in general,” said Poerner. “A bunch of years ago it was heavy plastics and stuff. Now, there’s more proper sustainable materials. There’s a lot more leather alternatives.” 

Diadora has even used grape leaf waste from northern Italy for a product in the heritage line, which is local as well as sustainable. “The company is led by people who believe in that sort of thing. But I don’t think it’s an anomaly. I think it’s the way of the future. Everybody’s onboard. Especially in Europe.”

Now that Poerner is in his 40s, some of his old punk friends are paying more attention to their health. “And they get into running and get into all this stuff now. So it’s cool to introduce a lot of them, or be able to enjoy it with them.”