After a long wait, we finally have the review of the Diadora DD Eleven GX 14.

Diadora is a company known for quality, comfort, and value. But with the release of the DD Eleven GX 14 they have featured a new soleplate with some added technology. Although Diadora has implemented some new technology in this boot, they have definitely kept true to their standards.

Comfort and Fit

Coming from Diadora, I expected nothing less than an extremely comfortable boot. While they were fairly comfortable, I do feel that Diadora could improve on it next time around. The whole upper is kangaroo leather which offers an extremely comfortable and flexible feel throughout the upper. This was one thing that I was extremely fond of. You also get a very nice leather tongue that sits on top of your foot very comfortably.

The real issues lie in the inside of the shoe. When I first put on these shoes, I noticed some slipping in the heel and the insole. The heel liner used on the boot is somewhat of a slippery synthetic material, but the fit that it offered just did not lock onto my heel very well. In addition to this, the insole was also fairly slippery and my foot could slide around a good amount.

They do fit about a half size big, so you can go down a half size. Something also to note is that the boot runs fairly wide, like most Diadora releases; if it does fit a little wide, you can actually tie the laces very tight and wrap them around the sole. This creates almost a fly-wire like feeling.

Breaking In

As I said before, the heel liner causes a good amount of slipping, which lead to a small blister occurring on my heel. The only way to stop the rubbing is to get good wear. Once you break them in for a while, the heel liner begins to conform to the shape of your foot and the rubbing stops. Along with the heel issue, I felt that the insole takes a long time to form to the shape of your foot. Despite this, the upper takes a very short time to stretch and mold around your foot.

Technology

With this release, Diadora has created something very new to the soccer market; the soleplate actually is breathable to keep your foot cool. The Net Breathing System consists of layers of wired mesh that allow heat to be released from the foot, but to keep moisture and mud out. To help with this, there are actually holes in the insole and foot-bed. I actually found this technology to work, and my feet never felt overheated. Another technology is the use of Didaora’s Touch Control coating on the upper. This allows for a slight added grip to specific sections of the upper.

Performance

To start off with, the kangaroo leather used on the boot is some of the best quality you can find. It is super supple and forms to your foot very quickly. Also, it stretches around the whole boot so you get a good feel for the ball. It is quite padded especially of the cream colored regions, which helps cushion the ball when receiving a pass or dribbling. In terms of traction, the conical studs grip fairly well on both turf and natural surfaces. The soleplate is moderately flexible, but it is for sure not my favorite soleplate out there.

To my surprise, I felt the boot to be best when shooting. The leather adds a very nice feel when striking a ball and gives a good amount of padding. Also, the upper gives a clean surface to strike a ball from and there are no added elements or technology to affect shooting.

Durability

As Diadora has a repetition of making very high quality products, I expected the DD Eleven to last. I did find there to be some separation in the toe and instep, but it is not too dramatic. Also, there is some paint chipping from the leather, but only on one shoe. One thing that I don’t recommend to do if you want them to last a long time is to wear them on turf. This is a rule of thumb on almost all leather cleats, but I definitely would not wear these too much on artificial surfaces. Overall, these held up well for how much I wore them.

All in All

The DD Eleven GX14 was the Italian company’s first trial at producing a breathable cleat. While this release did showcase the Net Breathing System, there are other features of the boot that could be improved. I would like to see a new material to be used in the heel liner, such as leather or suede to create a better experience. Overall, the performance was good but not great, and shooting is really the high point. If you want to buy a pair, the color we have here is unavailable to the public, but you can still find them in the release Fluo Yellow or the Silver/Yellow/White colors at a retail price of $200.

Performance: 8/10

Comfort: 7/10

Durability: 8/10

Technology: 9/10

Value: 7/10

Breaking In Period: Medium-Long

Feet Width It Can Fit: Medium-Wide