To be honest, I was unsure on what to expect from the Diadora Nucleo 2 and intrigued to give it a go as it is labeled as both a neutral and a stability shoe. The team has seen a few of those lately, so looks like not only is cushion a trend, but “light stability”.
Taking it out of the box and seeing the bright green and yellow colorway got me excited to lace up for a run!
Diadora, the well-known sports brand, has been working its way into a top run contender spot over recent years with bright, fun daily trainers and a solid carbon racer. Haven’t heard of them? You aren’t alone in the US, but that’s about to change.
This is a firmer cushioned, light stability shoe for daily training miles and long runs.
100% this is a divisive shoe with runners either immediately loving the feel or hating it on their foot.
Who Is It Good For?
Who is the Diadora Nucleo 2 a good fit for? Let’s break it out into a few key runner categories so it’s easy to decide if this is the shoe for you!
- Wide Feet: Very average fit, so not extra room for a wide foot.
- Heavier Runners: Light stability with the cushion makes it a great option.
- Long Runs: Can help with longer mile gait fatigue, but maybe lacking cushioning.
- Front of the Pack: Designed to be a daily trainer, not built for speeds above 9 min mile ish.
The shoe is great for the everyday runner to enjoy some miles and the light support can be great as you build up that overall hip and glute strength.
Diadora Nucleo 2 Overview
Taking them out of the box, the Diadora 2 looked like a fun, bright shoe so I was excited to give them a try. I put them on and walked around my house, loving how light and bouncy they felt.
The made in-house DD Anima foam midsole is not overly soft, but also does not lack cushion so it felt stable and consistent throughout the run with a noticeable rebound. The shoe had a great shock attenuation and offered a nice “pop” off the ground with each footstroke.
Again, I wouldn’t describe it as fast. But I also wasn’t losing a bunch of energy to a massive soft cushion.
About a mile in to my first run, I noticed a bit of discomfort in the arches of my feet that didn’t quit. The midsole felt firmer than I prefer for easy miles, making it hard to find a smooth stride. It is not uncommon for a firmer shoe to need a bit of a break in period, so maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to the style of a shoe I don’t normally reach for.
It could also be attributed to the stability components and that makes us wonder if it’s really light stability?? Or just a true stability shoe because that firmness is what helps with correction.
I felt that the shoe was versatile – a good daily trainer with some stability and an enjoyable ride at any pace. As mentioned, the discomfort in my arches might just be something that will resolve itself after a “break in” period.
I wouldn’t say it’s my new go-to trainer, but I also didn’t dislike it.
Having both “neutral” and “stability” focuses on a single shoe’s marketing is slightly confusing, yet both appear to be true here. We would say those who don’t need stability might find the shoe too firm and those who are used to stability are going to appreciated the right.
Coach Amanda: I also took the shoe out for a spin. While I didn’t have the initial push back that Kaitlyn’s feet did I wasn’t gag over the shoe either. It’s definitely note a max cushion shoe, but it feels softer than say the Brooks Ghost or the Nike Pegasus!
What was nice about this shoe is you can pick up the pace. While not a 5K speed runner, you aren’t lost in cushion and could therefore hang out in your marathon pace for most mid and back of the pack runners.
Diadora Nucleo 2 Specs
- Weight: 9.7 oz men’s, 7.8 women’s
- Stack Height: 38mm heel
- Heel Drop: 5mm
- Support Level: Neutral/Stability
- Available in 5 colors
- Available at marathonsports.com for $160
The outsole has good coverage for road running and grip that would feel good on wet roads. Also enough to protect that cushion and help with durability.
Diadora Nucleo 2 Feel
The shoe felt light and cushioned, yet firm and supportive. It really is both a neutral and a stability shoe.
The made in-house DD Anima foam midsole offered a comfortable ride, but didn’t feel too mushy.
The arch, as noted, was noticeable to both of us during our initial runs.
With a 5mm heel drop, it can be good choice for people who have issues with knee pain. For some folks that higher drop will push the knee forward. But if you are newer to a lower drop, remember it will work the Achilles and calves a bit more.
Coach Amanda: I’d probably point to this as a great walking shoe. Or a shoe for light stability when folks are doing shorter weekly miles and need something for easy to workout days. Which goes against their claim that it’s great for long runs.
Diadora Nucleo 2 Fit
The brand does seem to have an inconsistent sizing/fit across shoe models so that’s an area for improvement. We’d recommend generally trying to go a 1/2 size up to be safe.
As someone with a wider toe box, but not someone who needs a wide trainer, the shoe fit quite comfortably – not too narrow, but not wide.
I felt stable and consistent throughout the run and appreciated the shoe’s shock attenuation.
And while the midsole was a bit stiff, but overtime I feel this may soften up.
Coach Amanda: I actually didn’t find the toebox to be wide at all. Again this might be simply comparing to hundreds of shoes, vs the normal runner using only a few shoes!
Plenty of laces to do a heel lock, though with the locked in fit to provide stability I didn’t find it necessary.
Those of you who like to run sans socks, will actually find this one pretty comfortable. No weird inseams.
Similar Shoes to the Diadora Nucleo 2
We’ve tested a few that feel similar, but different based on the brand fit:
- Hoka Clifton 10 – A little softer and wider fit, but natural stability built in
- Saucony Tempus 2 – An impressive light stability shoe that we would race in
- Brooks Glycerin – Neutral shoe with moderate cushion and a decent level of stability, similar midsole upper
Checkout our best stability running shoes if that’s what you’re trying to find!
All right there you have it! Our first Diadora running shoe review, but there will be many more to come and we’re excited to keep comparing models and see how the brand progresses.
Who Tried It?
Hi, I’m Kaitlyn Larson, a Run To The Finish run coach and lifelong runner!
You’ll find me in the front of the middle of the pack, not the fastest runner, but I have qualified for and run Boston twice. I started my running journey in high school when I joined the Cross Country team and fell in love with the sport. I ran my first marathon at 19, and continue to chase new dreams and set new PRs.
Now a UESCA certified run and ultra run coach and NASM CPT, I enjoy helping my clients chase their dreams and PRs, too.
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