Visiting Diadora

Words: Sebastian Nicu

On the surface, Diadora looks just like any small sneaker brand. But the manufacturer from Italy stands out from the crowd more than you might think. When Diadora was founded by Marcello Danieli in 1948, the main focus was clearly on shoes. No wonder, after all Danieli was a trained shoemaker. A few years later, the company was able to establish itself as the Italian leader for mountain boots.

In the 1960s, the company began to concentrate on ski boots and you probably wonder what all of this has to do with HHV. Diadora soon realized that skiers didn’t just need functional boots: They also wanted to have fun with the girls afterwards and (as everyone knows) they needed some fly kicks. That’s why the first apres-ski shoe was invented. Shortly afterwards, Diadora also started producing running, football and tennis shoes to accompany the style-conscious Italian in every situation.

So far so good, but is that really it? Is that all that’s supposed to make Diadora special? Nope! Unlike many other brands, Diadora is not only in it for quick bucks. Quality is the top priority here, which is why the shoes are still produced in the factory in Caerano di San Marco. Last fall we were invited to take a look around. After starting from Venice, we arrived at the headquarters, where we were heartily welcomed and led to the Diadora Museum. We also met Diadora’s CEO, Enrico Moretti Polegato. There were shoes, jerseys and some tools from the founding year, too. We also walked past some showrooms and offices. It’s interesting to see how everything around Diadora happens in one place.

Later, we finally went to the production halls, where we got to know the 18 stations where the typical MADE IN ITALY sneaker, which you can also buy from us, is handcrafted. At some of these stations, even original machines from the founding years were used, which is quite impressive.

So you can definitely say that Diadora has earned its place in the sneaker market and won’t disappear so quickly. To see where fan favorites like the N9000 Collabos with Raekwon or Patta were made was definitely worth the trip to beautiful Italy. Especially the effort Diadora makes to bring the retros so close to the originals is something that sneaker enthusiasts often miss in other brands. It’s nice to see that in Cearano di San Marco the wishes of the true fans are being fulfilled.