by Larry Eder
For Shoe Geeks Only! Diadora Gara Carbon 2 is an impressive Trainer/Racer!
The DIADORA company has existed since 1948, the same year that adidas and PUMA were founded. Originally, the Italian footwear company made mountain boots, then soccer boots and running footwear. In this article, we are discussing their fine running footwear.
DIADORA is known for exceptionally high quality running shoes. There is a growing group of Performance Running Stores that carry Diadora, both for heritage and quality performance training shoes. I have known about Diadora since 1992, and have been frustrated, over the years by how few people know about the brand. Many learned about it from soccer / European football. I tested the Atomo V 7000 in 2023-2024 and was quite impressed. My good friend, Scott Dvorak, of Charlotte Running Company is one of the key retailers that I ask about product. Scott has carried Diadora for years, and is always pleasantly surprised about how many runners, young and old, check out the product. It should be a brand that you check out, as you look for a great training shoe. (For Transparency sake, I have accepted advertising from DIADORA in 1994, and 2012.) I also have to say, their heritage track suits and hipster apparel is also quite cool! I am always wary of carbon plated running shoes. I highly recommend that runners under 22 use them for racing only and perhaps a good speed day. Carbon plates have revolutionized the running shoe business. Marathon records by elites have been rewritten. And the citizen runners love them because they reduce fatigue in the 15-22 mile part of the marathon, where your quads, in many cases and from my 18 marathons of experience, come apart. This is an exceptional shoe at an exceptional price! I suggest that you go to a local running store to check the shoe out!
The Gara Carbon 2 from DIADORA has a wonderful Italian design, with a superb fit, and impressive stability for a racing flat. I think that it should be good for one mile to the half marathon, with some lighter folks using it for the marathon. Again, if you use for half marathon or marathon, use it in a few long runs to prepare your feet for the time of race. I am sure you will be pleasantly impressed! I am getting input from some runners who use it for longer races than marathons, but I would be wary. About the upper: The Matryx carbon weave gives you a light, beautiful upper. The shoe fit similar to many of the more well known brands. It also stands out for the price, at $300 US and 250 pounds Sterling. It is one of the most expensive shoes in the current racing shoe market. It may not be the lightest shoe, but I am not sure that it matters: The stability, the feeling of speed and lightness is overwhelming. You just feel fast!
DIADORA is known worldwide for their football shoes, running shoes, and heritage products. I like the Atomo V7000, which is a very stable motion-control shoe.
The DIADORA Gara Carbon 2, Diadora's vision of the light, stable, carbon-plated racing shoe is very impressive. It is incredibly light, and on my tests, I moved significantly faster than on other days, and with much less effort. The shoe is stable, which I like, and pretty flexible in all right places. Also, the design and graphics give you an awesome racing shoe, with Italian design! I really like this one, check it out. I would suggest for 5k, 10k, and half marathon (and even 3k-10k on track). Check it out at www.diadora.com.
Enjoy my video!For Shoe Geeks Only! Diadora Gara Carbon 2
The Diadora company has existed since 1948, the same year that Adidas and PUMA were founded. Originally, they made mountain boots, then soccer boots and running footwear.
They are known worldwide for their football shoes, running… pic.twitter.com/Lig8GvqBDd— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) May 10, 2025
