Diadora Cellula Review
By David Salas
Diadora CellulaPrice: $170 at Diadora
Weight: 9.8 oz, 280g (men's size 9 UK), 7.7 oz, 220g (women's size 5 UK)
Stack Height: 40 mm heel / 35 mm forefoot
Drop: 5 mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily Running Shoe with focus on Comfort and Stability
Pros: Well done rocker with good rearfoot stability
Cons: Lower volume may be too snug for some runners, tongue does not cushion the laces well unless laid perfectly flat
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Diadora Cellula is a daily training shoe that utilizes a familiar rocker profile. The shoe does have some additional reinforcement in the rearfoot region that provides a very stable feeling through the rearfoot. The general feeling of the shoe is a rockered EVA trainer with decent responsiveness. The cushioning feels very structured. The Cellula is definitely a workhorse trainer.
SIMILAR SHOES: HOKA Arahi, Karhu Ikoni
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The Diadora Cellula fits true to size in my men's 9.5, though the volume is noticeably lower and more snug than other companies. The width throughout the heel, midfoot, and forefoot are all relatively normal. I could feel the sides of the upper in the forefoot pushing on my toes some initially, but the material did break in surprisingly well the more I ran in it. The heel has some sidewalls built into it that integrate with the heel counter. This gives for a very secure feeling in that region. There is mild to moderate padding throughout the heel and I had no irritation. I had no issues with heel slippage or foot translation either. The midfoot and forefoot fit snug, but within reasonable limits once broken in. The tongue is noticeably thin and has a tendency to crinkle up. My first time wearing the shoe it actually hurt a little bit until I redid the way the tongue was resting. I do think the shoe could benefit from a little more volume and more padding through the tongue. When I got it laying flat I did not have any more issues, but it is something that I have to watch. My general feelings on the upper are positive and my foot does feel secure. If the material did not break in as well as it did I may have had less positive thoughts on that.
Editor's note: Diadora does suggest a half size up for the Cellula on the website. If you are between sizes, we recommend the size up.. They do not have wide sizes for the Cellula. On the website, they also list the Cellula models and plain or Cellula W for women's models.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: With my initial fit experience, I was not expecting to love this shoe. Once the upper broke in and I started to get more usage with the Cellula, my mind changed. I actually really loved the shoe. The shoe gives me reminiscence to the stiffer EVA rockers on the market like the HOKA Clifton, but with a more structured heel. The foam has a very structured cushioning feel to it. You can tell there is a lot of foam under you, but it is definitely not mushy soft. The heel has a decent sized bevel that is followed up with a decently rounded forefoot rocker that starts a little earlier than some others. There is some flexibility to the forefoot, but not a whole lot. You consistently feel like you are rolling forward in the Cellula once you get going. The firmer foam actually feels pretty nice to push into when you start picking the pace up some as well. I still wouldn't go as far to say that this is a workout shoe though. The ANIMA foam is a little flat for top end paces, but does well for rhythmic efforts. For the geometry and usage of the shoe, this is a very nice shoe to "go to sleep" when logging large numbers of miles. Outsole traction underfoot is pretty good as well and I had no issues with slipping. If you wanted to run off road in decently groomed areas the shoe can handle that. Despite the heel feeling pretty stable, the remainder of the shoe feels very neutral to me. I do think this is one of those shoes that will work for those that like the "stable neutral" category and rockered shoes. This is not one of those shoes with a crazy bouncy new generation foam, but will deliver a very consistent and pleasant ride for easy mileage.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The Cellula is designed for "comfort and stability." The shoe does some things really well, and others okay. The heel does feel really stable underfoot. The shoe feels like it is constructed around initial contact. The heel has a decently sized bevel to it and some guidance measures that are immediately noticeable. The heel counter blends in with some noticeable sidewalls that brush up along the medial and lateral aspect of the heel. They did a very good job of having those noticeable without encroaching or creating any unnecessary pressure in those regions. The remainder of the shoe feels very neutral to me though. The platform is a very normal width. The shoe does have some gentle sole flaring, but not enough to make a large impact on stability. The firmer nature of the shoe does help some with stability as well. If the goal of the shoe is to be a stability model, some work on the platform width, sidewalls, and sole flaring may be the next step.
Thoughts as a DPT: Our Heel and Sidewalls
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
The foot can be quite complex at times. When looking at how it moves, the biomechanics of it can become overwhelming. People have worked to quantify its movements throughout research, and even try to "control" these motions. The one thing that seems to be pretty consistent... is that it will do what it wants. With that in mind though, people can still feel more "stable" when certain things are present, regardless if it matches the data coming from the biomechanics. One of these things that can help are sidewalls.
In all of our joints we have proprioceptors. These are special receptors that help give us information about where our joints are in space and help determine our next decision with how we use said joints. These proprioceptors work alongside our many other sensory receptors to get the most accurate information to our brain for further processing. In the case of sidewalls, this does give a gentle tactile stimulus to our nerves. By knowing that there is a physical object hugging the inside and outside of our heel, our brain may start to feel a sense of stability and confidence with movement through that region. Knowing that the structure is there, this can help it with its guidance forward. Again, the foot will do what it wants. This is not an exact science, but the proprioceptive input can shape how the runner feels. This is why some people love having those types of structures in their shoes, and others are very sensitive to them.
The Diadora Cellula takes a bucket like approach to the heel. The calcaneus, or heel bone, is sitting somewhat low into the shoe. The Cellula then has a padded heel counter that wraps around the heel both medially and laterally. This blends in with a taller sidewall of ANIMA foam that hugs the heel as well. That sensation of structure combined with the heel rocker can give a runner just enough stability to help ease them forward when they are running. Those that like having some additional heel stability components, and like that sensation, may want to look for designs that have components like this.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I clearly enjoyed my time in the Diadora Cellula, but I think there is definitely some room for improvement with the fit. I do think the volume is noticeably low and may turn some people away rather quickly. I am grateful it broke in well for me, but it may still be a deal breaker for some. The other thing would be reworking the tongue. The tongue is very thin and has a tendency to crinkle up on itself. If I don't lay it flat right before lacing the shoe up, I will have noticeable pressure wherever that crinkle is. That alone almost turned me away initially. My other recommendations would be to lean in on the stability category if that is the ultimate goal of the shoe.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The Diadora Cellula is a daily running shoe for someone that wants a firmer rockered shoe with good heel stability. The Cellula has a very structured cushioning feel to it and caters to its natural geometry. The volume of the upper is definitely on the lower end, so you have to be okay with a snug fit as well. Thankfully this did break in for me and it now fits great. This is definitely one of my workhorse training shoes that I'd be happy to grab whenever I'm not testing.
GRADES
David
Fit: B- (Volume noticeably low immediately, tongue has to be laid down well with each use to prevent any increase in pressure over the dorsum of the foot. Thankfully it broke in pretty well.)
Performance: A- (The foam could have a little more life to it, but the general geometry and ride are very smooth and rhythmic. A rockered ride with a more structured heel.)
Stability: B+ (Very structured heel with good geometry. Improvements could be made with sole flaring through the forefoot, sidewalls through the midfoot, and general platform width.)
Value: B+/A- (I think this shoe does compete with the likes of the HOKA Clifton and Bondi. It is slightly more expensive, but the rearfoot stability could be enough to give it the nod to the right person. I think the shoe has decent value.)
Personal: A- (I didn't think I would like the ride of this shoe so much. It is a nice easy day shoe for me where I can "go to sleep".)
Overall Design: B+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORDiadora CellulaPrice: $170 at Diadora
Shop Men | Shop Women
*Using the link to purchase helps support Doctors of Running. Thanks so much!
Check out Gear We Love
Naked Belt The best way to carry your phone and goods on the run. No bounce and various sizes for waist.
Saysky Running Gear: We were really taken aback by this Scandinavian company's ultra-thin, durable performance clothing
Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor: Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup
goodr Sunglases: Run in style with goodr's super fun sunglasses.
Feetures Socks: Massively grippy socks that will make you feel more one with the shoe
Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Water Bottle: Perfect for long runs when you need hydration in the summer
Trigger Point Foam Roller: Help get those knots out post-run and feel better for tomorrow
Ciele Hat: Our team's favorite running hat of choice!
Fractel Hats: Our team's wider fitting running hat of choice!
FURTHER READING
A peba-based midsole provides tons of cushion.
A center-guided stability trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
Thanks for reading!
FOLLOW DOCTORS OF RUNNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: Doctors of Running
Youtube Channel: Doctors of Running
Instagram: @doctorsofrunning
LinkedIn: Doctors of Running
Strava: Doctors of Running
Podcast: Virtual Roundtable
Pinterest: Doctors of Running
PODCAST
Check out the Doctors of Running Podcast to find more reviews, interviews, and running features from the team.
Visit our Podcast Page
Find us on Apple
Find us on Spotify
Contact us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
NEXT: Saucony Guide 18
