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0. Intro

In serving athletes, we seek to reduce our environmental impacts and maximise the benefits for people and communities, and we measure this in our sustainability report.

0.1 Letter from the president

Dear stakeholders,

in 2022, our Group recorded another year of positive growth as regards its economic performance and, as we will set forth in this second edition of the sustainability report, at the end of 2022 we achieved new positive results in our social and environmental performance also.
This was not to be taken for granted: while on the one hand our gradual emergence from the COVID-19 health emergency was a positive factor, on the other we have had to deal with the uncertainties and tensions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war that quickly resulted in exorbitant increases in energy and raw materials.
However, it is in times of difficulty that a team truly proves its mettle: in such a context, growth is a doubly difficult challenge, and it is thanks to the commitment and professionalism of all the people who work at Diadora that we have succeeded.
As I like to remind myself, sustainability is the most important marathon to undertake. That is why measuring our results is of strategic importance and lays the foundation for the continuous improvement that every athlete strives for.
In the pages that follow, you will discover how in 2022 we have managed to make Diadora an even better place to work, to increase our audits of our suppliers and keep our direct CO2 emissions low. These positive elements are driving us to further invest in sustainability, making it a “normal” part of all our activities and processes on the one hand, and an essential incentive in our research and development processes on the other.

This edition of the Sustainability Report also extends the scope of reporting to the entire Diadora Group, with the aim of maximising transparency and the opportunities we can seize from a comprehensive analysis of our sustainability profile.
Our sportsmanship drives us to courageously step up to the challenge of creating a sustainable and inclusive future. As we often hear the younger generation ask, it is crucial that we start running, now.

The President
Enrico Moretti Polegato

0.2 About us

Diadora was founded in Caerano di San Marco, in the heart of the sports footwear district in Montebelluna, in the province of Treviso, in 1948. Since its foundation, the company has become synonymous with innovation and quality in the world of sports shoes.

In the beginning, Diadora only produced mountain boots that were hand made with the best fabrics and leathers. In the 1960s, the company became a symbol of excellence thanks to its patented technologies and industrial production, which allowed it to spread the brand throughout Italy. Today Diadora is one of the world’s leading sports brands, distributed in over 60 countries.

We manufacture and sell sports footwear and clothing under the Diadora brand (running, tennis, football and lifestyle shoes) to sports footwear retailers and end consumers. We also grant distribution and/or use of the brand to third parties in markets and product categories where we have chosen not to have a direct presence.

0.3 Values

Diadora is committed to serving athletes, from Olympic gold medallists to everyday runners.

From the sport icons of the past to the legends of the future. We team up with athletes to make products that offer the best performance standards. In doing so, we strive to use increasingly sustainable materials and processes.

Our sustainability strategy focuses on the concept of “proximity”, i.e., the constant pursuit to establish caring relationships with our stakeholders: From our customers and their communities, to the factories and the people who work there, to the environment around us.

We are a company guided by the values of sport, which is why our every strategic and operational choice places people at the centre and is inspired by the principles of integrity, respect and commitment to continuous improvement.

0.4 History

  • 1948 Diadora was created as a workshop where hiking boots were made by hand. The company’s products soon established themselves as the best hiking andworkboots on the market.
  • '60s Diadora converts production to the world of sport, distinguishing itself through high quality and avant-garde products.Diadora becomes the first Italian company to hire champions with lots of appeal as brand testimonials. The products on offer range from competitive sports to leisurewear.
  • '80s Diadora becomes the undisputed star of international competitions thanks to its partnerships with world-class champions. The Diadora Research Centre is established, made up of an innovative team: footwear technicians, experts from the Milan Polytechnic’s Bioengineering Centre and doctors specialising in orthopaedics. Bolstered by the experience it had garnered in sports, Diadora returns to its origins by reviving its work footwear: Diadora Utility was created.
  • 1998 The Heritage line is created, destined to become a fashion phenomenon and the first experiment in the fusion of sportswear and fashion.
  • '00s Lir S.r.l., the holding company of the Moretti Polegato family, the major shareholder in Geox, signs an agreement to purchase Diadora, with the aim of enhancing the brand’s enormous potential.
  • 2009 The process to innovate begins: style and sports performance are the key words for growth. Music joins sports in the upper echelons of style and our collaborations remain firmly straddling two worlds.
  • 2010 Diadora begins to make its proprietary line of handmade footwear again at its headquarters in Caerano di San Marco (TV). The factory, which was restored after almost 15 years of inactivity, retrieving and updating the original machinery, is intended to produce the high-end models of the Active, Lifestyle and Utility lines.
  • 2015 Diadora re-enters the world of tennis with a relaunch plan for the category that includes a complete collection of clothing, footwear and accessories and the return of the classic 5 ball logo.
  • 2018 Diadora’s 70th anniversary is celebrated in Florence with an important exhibition revolving around the concept of speed applied to art. exhibition involves a number of artists, experts in different expressive languages such as design, photography, music, moving images and sculpture.
  • 2021 Diadora celebrates 2021 by introducing the Equipe Atomo—the first technical running shoe to be Made in Italy in 30 years. With Equipe Atomo, Diadora brings back production to Italy with a focus on performance, as lies at the core of the brand: craftsmanship and research with Italian style.
  • 2022 Diadora promotes the 2030 agenda, thanks to which our iconic Diadora silhouettes are being made with the use of certified recycled materials. Furthermore, in 2022 the first Diadora Sustainability Report is published.

0.5 Diadora in numbers

  • 193 million € (+13% v. 2021) dof economic value generated
  • 184 million €+10% v. 2021) of economic value distributed
  • 6,4 million pieces produced (+10% v. 2021)

0.6 Proximity Building Blocks

Our sustainability strategy focuses on the concept of “proximity”, i.e., the constant pursuit to establish caring relationships with our stakeholders: From our customers and their communities, to the factories and the people who work there, to the environment around us.

To measure the impact on our stakeholder community, we consider it a priority to work simultaneously in three strategic directions:

  • • Production
  • • People and culture
  • • Environment

Community

1. Production

The commitment to a short supply chain is at the top of our agenda. We have a strict Code of Conduct and constantly keep track of environmental and social performances of our suppliers. The reopening of our historic Manovia is leading to products like Equipe Atomo, the only technical performance running shoe entirely Made in Italy in the last 30 years.
  • 13000 pieces produced in the factory of our headquarters
  • 28% of production in Europe
  • 148 suppliers (62 Italian)
  • 86 suppliers assessed for their environmental and social impacts
  • 77 suppliers audited both with document and on-site controls (+70% v. 2021)
  • 649 laboratory tests (+38% v. 2021)

1.1 Supply Chain Management

At Diadora we have a supply chain governance system that includes our Code of Ethics – our values –, our Code of Conduct, which indicates the minimum social, environmental and ethical requirements expected from our suppliers and the Restricted Substances List (RSL), for managing the chemicals in materials and production processes throughout the supply chain.
We have established two in-house cross-department teams tasked with evaluating our suppliers from a financial, legal, technical, product quality and safety, and sustainability perspective.
Our relationship with suppliers, from a sustainability point of view, is based on 3 pillars:

  • • Alignment: sharing our guidelines and requesting formal adherence;
  • • Monitoring: After an initial inspection at the production site, our suppliers are continuously monitored via unannounced on-site audits, carried out by Intertek, and annual audits;
  • • Improvement: Our suppliers are given a Corrective Action Plan after every audit, with the aim of bringing about positive changes in our partners’ organisations.

The sustainability criteria adopted comply with the most relevant and widespread international standards (such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, Global Compact principles and the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative).

We use 148 suppliers, 42% of whom operate in Italy, 20% in the rest of Europe and the remaining 38% in non-EU countries.

In 2022, the footwear production increased in Europe and was stable in Italy, while clothing/accessories segment slightly increased in Italy.

Audits Trend

The graph shows the trend from supplier audits over the last three years. The number of suppliers who were subjected to at least one document audit in 2022 increased by +70%

compared to the previous year, going rising from 45 to 77 suppliers.

1.2 Commitment to a short and sustainable supply chain

Maintaining high quality standards and respecting economic, social and environmental production targets are the characteristics that allow us to take Italian excellence to the world.

[fig.01] Workbench in the Diadora historic factory
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Promoting a supply chain that also consists of a short production structure also makes it possible to:
- establish stable, direct and long-lasting relations with suppliers, in order to consolidate business relationships with them;
- maintain and convey expertise that has been acquired over time;
- guarantee high quality standards for all productions.

[fig.03] The historic factory was reopened by Diadora in 2015
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Over the last few years, we have relocated part of our production to Europe and, where possible, in Italy, not only to shorten lead times, but also to enhance the skills of local suppliers. For Made in Italy productions, our aim is to develop key success factors: technological innovation, craftsmanship in production and excellence in the materials used.

[fig.05] One of the production stages for Atomo V7000,
the first running performance shoe made in Italy after over 30 years
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Since 2015, we have launched a manufacturing reshoring project, which we are still pursuing with conviction today. This plan has led to the reopening of our in-house factory at our headquarters in Caerano di San Marco, with the modernisation, recovery and enhancement of most of the machinery that is part of the company’s history. The factory, which is dedicated to the manufacturing of our Lifestyle (Collabo), Heritage and Utility footwear lines, has allowed us to maintain our shoe manufacturing expertise, while has also enabled us to experiment immediately with new products and processes that we can later propose to other suppliers.

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Since 2021, we have tangibly followed up on the company’s programme to strengthen the development of projects and production in Italy, by launching the “Equipe Atomo”, the first running performance shoe ever to be produced in Italy after more than thirty years with a production of 18,000 pairs. The product was positively received by the market, not only thanks to its high quality, but also because an Italian company chose to focus on the short supply chain. Also as regards clothing, we have presented a part of the Made in Italy collection, achieving good results in terms of on-time delivery, an indicator that measures the percentage of orders delivered within the time agreed with the customer.

1.3 CRD

The Centro Ricerche Diadora was born to nurture the vast knowledge and profound experience around performance footwear the North East of Italy has collected over the last century.

[fig.01] Marathon is the machinery created to measure the resistance of the materials used in the midsole
[fig.02] 3D prototype of a sole. It is made before the final mould is created

Its foundation is built on the local community’s history of providing technical equipment for both the mountaineers and the troops during WW1 and developed into sport gear’s research with the newest generation of local entrepreneurs.

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[fig.04] Foot scanner, creates a 3D reproduction of the foot with tenth of a millimetre precision

The tradition for innovating while managing limited resources and respecting the environment developed into sport gear’s research with the newest generation of local entrepreneurs. In its mission, the Center is “al servizio dell’atleta” (at service of athletes) and pushes forward all research relating to enhancing the ability of our bodies to move and perform. The close contact of footwear designers, technicians, athletes and sport engineers to the internal assembly line provides an unparalleled advantage and gives the CRD a unique edge, between science and Italian craft.

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2. Poeple and culture

We care about our workforce, not only from a professional but also from a human point of view. While promoting a culture of cooperation, we’re working on building a diverse environment and ensuring physical, mental and social well-being in the workplace.
  • • 274 people in the team from 16 countries
  • • 55% women
  • • 96% with permanent contracts
  • • 83% with full-time contracts
  • • 3.595 hours of training provided

2.1 Workers

In 2022, the Group’s total number of employees was 274, coming from 16 different countries. 96% were hired on permanent contracts and 83% on a full-time basis. 16% of employees are under 30 years of age, 62% are between 30 and 50, and 22% are over 50.

2.2 Stic x Diadora

In 2022, we also launched new partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles. We created a special edition of our Atomo running performance shoe as part of the Stic x Diadora project. Through this, we were able to amplify the message that Khnum Ibomu – widely known as “Stic” from the revolutionary hip hop duo, Dead Prez – has used to inspire millions with his music and lifestyle for many years.

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At the end of the nineties, as his star was on the rise, Stic was indulging in self-destructive habits, which later led to a dangerous diagnosis. Since then, he has been constantly striving to promote physical, mental and spiritual fitness as fundamental levers for personal growth.

2.4 Raekwon x Diadora

Our collaboration with the world of hip hop has also seen the development of a partnership with the famous rapper Raekwon, one of the members of the Wu Tang Clan, with whom we have created a series of special editions of our iconic footwear. Part of the proceeds went to support the “Community Linx”, which was set up to facilitate access to qualified training courses for young aspiring musicians.

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3. Environment

To us, proximity also means caring about the planet. We’re taking action by reducing the CO2 of our production plants. 100% of the energy consumption of our headquarter comes from renewable resources, with 42% being produced by our photovoltaic panels.
  • • 100% of electricity from renewable sources for Diadora S.p.A.
  • • 99% FSC®-certified packaging paper
  • • 42% recyclable synthetic fibres and 46% recyclable synthetic fibres for garment manufacturing
  • • 50% footwear production waste and 82% clothing production waste recovered

3.1 Energy and emissions

Since 2014, with the adoption of an ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management System, we have implemented a number of tools to monitor – and potentially reduce – our environmental impact and the pollution generated by our business.

To date, we can count on a photovoltaic electricity production of 575,549 Kwh, obtained thanks to the installation of panels on the roofs of our factories and capable of meeting around 40% of the energy needs of Diadora S.p.A.

Since 2019, the rest of Diadora S.p.A.’s electricity has come exclusively from renewable sources (in 2022 we purchased more than 954,539 kWh), in particular from hydroelectric power plants in South Tyrol. Starting from 2020, we have replaced the luminaires in some of our warehouses and offices with LED lights, thereby reducing electricity consumption.

3.2 Materials

Our suppliers are actively involved in joining independent certification schemes: The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) for the sourcing and use of certified recycled materials; The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Organic Content Standard (OCS) for the sourcing and use of certified organic materials and in the adoption of protocols to manage the chemicals allowed in their products through the establishment of a Restricted Substances List (RSL).
Our supplier selection process favours manufacturers and distributors that can demonstrate that they have implemented initiatives focused on reducing resource consumption.
In 2022, we introduced the denim fabric for Utility 239 jeans, for which an Environmental Footprint Declaration (EPD) is available, which indicates that the entire production cycle of the fabric allows for a 94% reduction in water consumption.

3.3 Packaging

The analysis and research to find more sustainable solutions for our primary and secondary packaging is an integral part of our strategy. Recyclability, renewability, biodegradability or compostability, with minimal use of materials with a low ecological footprint and reduced weight, are the key elements driving Diadora’s choices in this area.

In recent years, we’ve increased the use of paper from supply chains certified according to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Standard, which has now become increasingly widespread, so much so that it is used in almost all Diadora packaging. Indeed, while in 2021 our use of FSC® paper was 78% of total consumption, in 2022 we have reached 99% FSC® paper out of total paper and cardboard, for both our primary and secondary packaging.

3.4 Bodø/Glimt

From a fishing town north of the Arctic Circle to the top of Europe, the story of BodØ/Glimt is a fairytale filled with dedication and care for the planet.

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As proud supporters of BodØ/Glimt’s commitment to sustainability, we partner with them to create kits made of recycled materials. Every kit raises awareness on their program Action Now and features a special design that celebrates the environment.

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Action Now is FK Bodø/Glimt’s sustainability initiative, it is both a meeting place and communication platform for the sustainable solutions of the future. The entire club is concerned with the upholding the UN’s sustainability goals in its daily operations. All departments in Glimt are involved in taking Action Now, through both large and small deeds that can lead us to face a more sustainable future..

The program is based on the UN’s sustainability goals, and Glimt is committed to contributing to the positive development of the environment and society around us. Both in the short and long term. Our goals are to spread knowledge about the UN’s sustainability goals, inspire the local community, and to encourage action.

Bodø/Glimt have inspired several clubs both at home and abroad to develop their own Action Now program that suits their local conditions. For example, Odd, Aalesunds Fotballklubb and Kristiansund Ballklubb have already started their programs. The team presented Action Now at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and for the UN on a number of occasions.

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3.5 Cortina flagship store

We’ve chosen Cortina for our first flagship store, in the stunning setting of the former Palazzo Telve, the iconic work by architect Edoardo Gellner. Palazzo Telve is probably the most significant building Gellner designed in Cortina d’Ampezzo, which was commissioned for the 1956 Cortina Olympics. 

The new Diadora space, nestled in the heart of the mountains of Cortina d’Ampezzo, makes use of local materials and makes sustainability its common thread, thanks to the use of larch, stone and a natural metal such as calamine brass, which creates a juxtaposition between the warmth of the quintessential Dolomite materials and the black of the metal, used as a tool to enhance the product through the masterful use of light. The use of calamine brass on the walls, in particular, allows us to create an agile and constantly interchangeable set-up of display systems thanks to magnetic anchors. 

[fig.01] Palazzo Telve iconic work by the designer Edoardo Gellner
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The choice of proximity included not only the materials, but also the use of local craftsmen, who were able to express their expertise in working with the local raw materials. 

[fig.03] Calamine is a natural metal with low environmental impact
[fig.04] Entrance to the Diadora flagship store in Cortina
© 2023 Diadora
Methodological note:

This Sustainability Report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Standards (hereinafter “GRI Standards”) under the Core option, All content that maked reference to the GRI Standards is indicated in the GRI Content Index, found at the end of the document.

The 2022 Sustainability Report refers to the Diadora Group, extending the scope that was limited to Diadora S.p.A. In 2021. The Diadora Group is comprised of the parent company Diadora S.p.A., a company incorporated under Italian law on 4 June 2009 and wholly owned by LIR S.r.l., and by:

  • • the retail subsidiary Diadora Retail S.r.l., which sells to the end customer through ten proprietary sales outlets;
  • • the US trading subsidiary Diadora US Inc., incorporated under US law and wholly-owned by Diadora S.p.A., incorporated with a view to developing Diadora in the United States;
  • • the Hong Kong holding company Forked Badge Device Ltd, which in turn wholly controls
  • • the company incorporated under Chinese law, Jinjiang FBD Sports Co., which handles supply chain services through its Shanghai branch.
  • • Diadora Retail S.r.l. is the Group company that sells to the end customer through nine proprietary sales.
  • • Diadora US Inc., established on 9 February 2016, is the company incorporated under US law and wholly-owned by Diadora S.p.A., incorporated with a view to developing Diadora in the United States.
  • • Jinjiang FBD Sports Co. Ltd is the company incorporated under Chinese law, established in 2016, that provides services related to supply chain, quality control and commercial distribution through its Shanghai branch, set up in April 2018.
For more information or clarification regarding the contents of the 2021 Sustainability Report, please contact us at: sustainability@diadora.com