Today on the Mister Worker™ blog we want to assist our customers who want to buy safety shoes, safety trainers or work boots. With the help of Diadora Utility, we are going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we have received on the topic.

Utility is the Diadora line of footwear and workwear, a benchmark in Italy in the safetywear field. Diadora Utility was born in 1998 from an intuition that allowed the historic brand to capitalize on the experience gained in the sports market and to transfer it to that of safety footwear. By combining technological innovation, research and design, Diadora Utility provides efficient and effective solutions for the safety of workers. The Diadora Utility 2020 collection offers a wide range of footwear and workwear focused on three main characteristics: breathability, lightness and cushioning.

When we buy safety shoes and boots, we often look for footwear that is light and comfortable. What innovations has Diadora Utility introduced to make work shoes more comfortable?

Diadora Utility is very attentive to the well-being of its consumers, for this reason it offers solutions for different types of use.

The flagship products of the collection are the shoes and boots equipped with Net Breathing System by Geox. This innovative and exclusive technology ensures maximum breathability and comfort for work shoes. The Geox innovation was the result of a long research aimed at the development of a special membrane, made of a microporous materials. This membrane is able to absorbe sweat in the form of water vapor and expel it through the perforated sole. The result is a waterproof and breathable membrane with several advantages: feet breathability, natural thermal regulation and maximum comfort.

The range of Diadora Utility products with the Net Breathing System by Geox has expanded this year with the introduction of a new technology developed within the Diadora research laboratories: Airbox technology. Thanks to the innovative lateral position of the ventilation holes, safety footwear with this system ensures an unparalleled performance. in terms of perspiration, Airbox provides work shoes and boots with high breathability, incredible comfort and a modern design. This technology was applied to the Run Net Airbox line of safety shoes and boots, available in 8 models and 18 color variations.

Another innovation within the Utility line is the Mass Damper System, which combines cushioning and energy return, while simultaneously ensuring protection, versatility and long-lasting performance. In fact, the low density material of the sole guarantees excellent performance in terms of resilience and compression set. In addition, the TPU coating acts as an external protective shell, increasing the sole’s resistance to abrasion, tearing and hydrolysis. The Mass Damper technology also allows you to distribute body weight evenly as it extends along the entire surface of the sole. Mass Damper is present in two of our footwear lines: Glove MDS and Strike.

Finally, this year we introduced the Matryx technical fabric. This is a multi-zone fabric made of Kevlar an high tenacity polyamide developed by Chamatex, a French company specialized in high performance technical fabrics. Matryx 2.0 was born from the union of Matryx and the research conducted in Diadora laboratories. Matryx 2.0 is specifically designed for the needs of workers, it  is an exclusive and patented fabric that offers maximum resistance to abrasion, lateral support and flexibility. This innovative material is available both in Glove MDS Matryx shoes and in some Run Net Airbox Matryx models.

Diadora Utility offers a vast catalogue of safety shoes. What advice can you give to a customer who has to choose work shoes?

The best advice we can provide is to choose safety footwear according to the work environment and the type of work performed. In fact, even within the same job category, distinct tasks are carried out, which may result in the need to choose different shoes, trainers or boots. To guide consumers in the choice of the best safety shoes, Diadora Utility differentiates its catalog in three categories: Pro, Indoor and Outdoor.

PRO: these are garments and footwear designed for workers who do not want to give up comfort and style, they represent the maximum expression of our technologies. The products designed for this line are Run Net Airbox, Glove Net and Glove MDS Matryx.

INDOOR: a concentrate of functionality and practicality, mainly for indoor work environments. The products designed for this range include safety shoes and work boots of the Run line.

OUTDOOR: products designed to offer optimal performance even in outdoor environments. We recommend the footwear of the Trail and Sport lines.

In general, when choosing work shoes, it is important to also take into consideration the environment and the climate in which they will be used. For example, a summer or winter climate, or a humid rather than dry environment, or a generally irregular work surface as opposed to a smoother one.

Which safety shoes can you recommend for the summer season? Which work shoes or boots are better during winter?

S1P shoes are more suitable for the summer season because they are lighter, fresher and more breathable while S3 shoes are more suitable for the winter season because they are water-repellent.

We recommend Run Net Airbox S1P, Glove MDS Matryx S1P as summer footwear; while as winter footwear Glove MDS S3 and Run Net Airbox S3.

Can you give us some tips on how to clean safety shoes?

Work shoes should be cleaned with soft brushes and water. You should not use substances such as alcohol, thinners, gasolines or any other type of chemical agent for cleaning. Although their effect could be unnoticed by users, these substances could damage and weaken the materials, compromising the original safety characteristics of shoes and boots. Instead, use a grease or polish to keep the shoes leather soft. If your work footwear gets wet, don’t place it in direct contact with a heat source. We recommend letting it dry in a ventilated place at room temperature.

How often should work shoes be replaced?

Our advice is to replace your safety footwear if its characteristics are no longer intact. In fact, there is no set time for replacement, but it depends on the wear resulting from both use and the type of work. Numerous factors can influence the life of your shoes and their durability cannot be determined with certainty.

It is possible to give some general information taking into account the materials the shoes are made of. Regardless of wear and tear, for footwear entirely made of polyurethane or with a polyurethane bottom (PU or TPU), a maximum storage period of three years is suggested. As for footwear with rubber and EVA soles, the duration is 10 years from the date of production.

What sets Diadora Utility shoes and trainers apart from other safety footwear?

In more than twenty years Diadora Utility has distinguished itself on the safetywear market thanks to the constant search for innovative and exclusive technologies, such as Net Breathing System and Mass Damper, to guarantee its customers an increasingly wide range of products suitable for every need. Diadora’s sporting DNA has also influenced its activity. The products’ design and performance take a lot of inspiration from the sporting world, making the collection, especially workwear, versatile and casual.

What can we expect from Diadora Utility in the future?

In the future, Diadora Utility will focus on three fundamental aspects: sport, innovation and Italian spirit.
Sport, as a distinctive feature of Diadora, will continue to influence both the design of Utility products and their performance, inspired by the sporting world and adapted int the safetywear field.
For Diadora, Innovation involves process, product and market innovation. In particular, for the development of products, we will work on technology, continuous research of novelty and improvement of performance to always anticipate and satisfy the needs of our consumer.
Finally, as a historic Italian company we will continue to focus on the development of products entirely conceived, designed and brought to production by an Italian team, taking advantage of the knowledge, competence and passion that have always distinguished us.