WORDS BY LIKE THE WIND – PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED BY DIADORA
As athletes, we all know that improvements in our performance come from a consistent combination of different ingredients: easy runs, hard sessions, active recovery, good food, good sleep, appropriate gear and more. There is no one thing that will make the difference. In fact, if you have only one or two of these ingredients, it’ll be almost impossible to improve. The way forward is a balance of several elements.
The same is true of a running shoe. It is only when all the different elements are in balance that true greatness is achieved. In the Diadora Atomo V7000, runners will find all the ingredients of a great shoe: legacy, technology, style and craftsmanship.
The concept for the Atomo V7000 was to take a shoe that had already garnered great reviews and make it better. Take it to the next level. Two years ago, the Equipe Atomo set the standard… and the Atomo V7000 now punches through to new heights. But how did Diadora achieve this? According to Michele Risatti, responsible for research and development at Diadora’s headquarters in Italy, the answer is by improving as many areas of the shoe as possible.
“The first thing we did was work with runners to understand their needs,” explains Michele. “From there, the Diadora Product Creation department and the engineers from the Centro Ricerche Diadora lab were able to add technology to answer those demands.”
What this means for the runner, says Michele, is that the Atomo V7000 provides a fluid feeling where the shoe is a tool that delivers comfort, support and energy return without being obtrusive.
A big part of the reason Diadora has been able to create a shoe as advanced as the Atomo V7000 is because it is manufactured in Italy. Bringing production in-house “closes the circle” as far as development is concerned. “Having the manufacturing and prototyping facilities on site allows the designers to draw the shoe, select the materials, test all the elements, finalise the design and control the manufacturing process,” Michele explains.
LEGACY
Diadora’s history is rooted in sport – particularly in running. Because of its strong associations with sporting icons of the 1990s, the brand is able to draw inspiration from a glorious past. It is by reaching back into history and seeing how success has been achieved and sustained that the designers at Diadora are able to imagine the products that will define the future.
TECHNOLOGY
Building on the legacy of the past is possible, in part, because of the technology available today. In the case of the Atomo V7000, that technology has allowed Diadora to create one of the lightest long-distance running shoes on the market: the men’s version weighs only 260g and the women’s 205g. The outsole of the Atomo V7000 is made of a special wear-resistant duratech 5000 compound running along the entire sole. And a midsole created from a material known as DD anima ensures a shoe with a lower drop, greater lightness and improved reactivity, thanks to the perfect balance of energy return and cushioning.
STYLE
The fast and light V7000 originally appeared in Diadora’s 1990 catalogue. The Atomo V7000 represents the union between the V7000 and the groundbreaking Equipe Atomo, the first performance running shoe to be made in Italy for more than 30 years. The Atomo V7000 builds on the technology from the original Equipe Atomo, adding more comfort and reactivity thanks to the different height of the midsole. A reworked upper creates an edgier appearance.
MADE IN ITALY
By making the Atomo V7000 in Italy, Diadora confirms its commitment to investing in local industry and also demonstrates a practical recognition of the environmental impact of shoe production. The Montebelluna area, where Diadora is based, is a world- recognised hub for sport shoe development and production, with a workforce that understands how to build first-class products. Investing in local industries and communities provides transparency on the supply chain, improving efficiencies and reducing environmental impact.
CRAFTMANSHIP
In the Atomo V7000, Diadora has combined legacy and technology to provide the ultimate performance and style, as well as paying close attention to sustainability. What brings all these elements together is the craftsmanship of the people making the shoes in Montebelluna. Their attention to detail and the care they bring to the manufacturing process results in a truly world-beating product.
The Italian expression “Buon cibo. Buon vino. Buon amici” literally translates as “good food, good wine, good friends”. The phrase is used to express that a combination of the right elements gives you everything you need. In the Atomo V7000, the team at Diadora have managed to combine the right components to create an extraordinary shoe. Once you give it a try, you’ll understand that quite simply all the right ingredients are there.
CREATED BY LIKE THE WIND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DIADORA
Find out more at www.diadora.com.
