Stability is an important feature of a running shoe that sometimes gets overlooked (especially with the plush and cushy shoe era we’re currently living in). What if you want the best of both worlds? Solution: the Diadora Mythos Blushield Vigore V. It’s an updated stability shoe that is engineered for comfort AND support.
I’ve been a Brooks girlie for the past decade. I’m now in my mid-thirties and have introduced more diverse training in the last three years.
I’ve started to notice some overpronation that I wasn’t able to just “fix” with warmups, stretching or strength training. After long runs I would notice foot, knee and hip pain and realized I should be looking for a shoe that can help in that regard.
When the chance to test the Diadora Mythos Blushield Vigore V came up, I was excited. Could this be the missing piece in my running journey that leads me to less overpronation and fewer trips to the chiropractor for my hip and knee alignment?
Who is it Good For?
- Wide Feet: Not available in a wide option and has been known to have a more narrow toebox.
- Heavier Runners: Great option for stability and overall comfort.
- Long Runs: Runners impacted by overpronation will love the stability on long runs.
- Front of the Pack: Not necessarily a speed shoe, but can be used for short speed bursts.
This is a true stability shoe, not the neutral stability we’ve seen a lot of lately, but still provides great cushion and is decently lightweight. Not a true lightweight running shoe, but not bad in the stability world.
Diadora Mythos Blushield Vigore V Overview
In its latest update, the Vigore V has been engineered with a new Blushield N2 technology, which helps control overpronation, keeping your feet where they need to be. Additionally, the new engineered mesh upper has an integrated tongue that protects joints. Color me intrigued- let’s dive in.
But we really want to highlight how light this shoe is in regards to the stability it offers.
The Diadora technology is designed to increase midsole responsiveness by 30% while reducing its weight 20%. The stability is there, but the extra weight isn’t.
This helps your turnover still feel light and cushioned while keeping your feet where they should be. True to this description, I could feel a little bounce in my step, specifically in the forefoot during my turnover.
My first run in the Vigore V was a 13 mile easy pace run. First thought: these are heavy duty!
I was a little nervous they wouldn’t be as cushioned as I needed them to be, but the more I ran, the better they felt. I could feel my overpronation being kept under control with each stride.This is thanks to the sidewalls on the inside and outside of the foot coming up to provide that locked in feeling, along with the medial post.
While many stability shoes feel really hard due to a post, that wasn’t the case here. It was a correction without giving me that uncomfortable sensation of a hard piece. Definitely stability that’s going to help with that inward pronation by giving you a bit more control through the arch and into the heel.
This is part of the Blushield technology: “Diadora Blushield® combines cushioning and reactivity. The fusion of the morpho base and the nucleo allows (it) to minimize the asymmetrical behavior of feet turning irregular steps into a balanced run.”
I didn’t feel like I needed to constantly adjust my form to keep my limbs in line. At the end of 13 miles, my hips still felt aligned and my knees didn’t have their usual post-run ache.
Throughout the next few weeks I ran various paces (between walking and 6.5mph) and various distances (between 2 and 20 miles) and my joints held up through each run.
This is a stability shoe where you can pick up the pace, but certainly it’s not going to be the fastest shoe. Especially with such a large heel drop, unless there’s a big rocker added it just makes that roll through a little clumsy.
While Coach Amanda has loved shoes going away from a big heel drop, I didn’t mind it here. Maybe my Achilles wants that higher drop.
Diadora Vigore V Specs
- Weight: 10.7 oz Men’s, 8.6 oz Women’s
- Stack Height: 33 mm
- Heel Drop: 11 mm
- 3 Colors
- Not available in wide option
- Available on marathonsports for $170
I received the Buttercream/Minced Quince color and think it looks really sharp. It’s narrow enough that it could be worn casually even when not on a run. And I’ll say for a road shoe, it’s done really well with traction for my winter running.
Quick Take
Pros
- Responsive cushioning
- Keeps joints feeling great
- Light weight stability
Cons
- Runs narrow
- Break in period
- High heel drop
Diadora Vigore V Fit
Overall the shoe is very comfortable, but once I got into the double-digit mile runs, I could really notice the tightness in the toebox. So much that I needed to walk to stretch out my toes to make more room.
I attribute this to the break in period, because after the first two longer runs, my toes didn’t hit the front anymore and they felt much more comfortable.
The shoe felt very sturdy but also kept my feet in a natural position. I could feel my overpronation was under control.
My knees and hips weren’t achy at the end of each run. When I would do a “form check” during a run, I didn’t feel like I was losing control of my limbs.
My legs were in line where they should be, and that really affected how my body felt when I finished.
Diadora Vigore V Feel
I’m used to my forefoot getting tired out if a shoe has a large drop, but that didn’t happen with this 10mm heel drop. There was just enough cushion in the forefoot that kept a good bounce and didn’t drag my feet down.
I was worried that the stability of this shoe would cause it to be heavy, but not only did the shoe not feel heavy on my foot, I felt that my turnover was quicker because my ankles and knees were feeling strong and in the correct place.
The lacing was surprisingly durable. I typically like to double-knot my running shoes, especially with thinner laces like the Vigore V, but I actually forgot to do that for a few runs and had no issue with them coming untied.
So far, my joints and feet feel really good after a run, so I’m excited to keep this shoe in my rotation!
Similar Shoes to the Diadora Vigore V
We’ve tested a few cushioned stability shoes that feel similar, but different based on the brand fit.
- Saucony Guide 19 – similar light stability feel, more cushioned, with a much lower drop.
- Hoka Gaviota 6 – Max cushioned stability shoe where you feel the cushion, 5mm drop.
- Nike Structure Plus – max stack height, decent feeling of cushion, more arch support.
Our Verdict
Who Tried It?
Hi there! I’m Taylor, a former marketer turned stay-at-home mom of two. A casual runner with a few 10K and half-marathon races under my belt, I decided to take my running to the next level when my kids were younger as a way to challenge myself and get some quality alone-time. I’ve discovered a love of racing with charity teams and have completed two major marathons with Team ALS with hopes to contribute even more in the future!
What to Read Next?
- See all of our stability running shoe reviews
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