Diego Marchetti

Reviews Editor: Basketball and lifestyle sneakers, on-court traction, QC photo review, and sub-score tables

Diego Marchetti is the site's Reviews Editor, responsible for on-court testing, traction scores and QC photo sets, with a focus on basketball and lifestyle sneakers. He photographs each pair against a grey card before wear, carries out two 90-minute outdoor sessions and one indoor session, and records traction, cushioning and stability separately. At 40 hours of basketball play, he photographs the midsoles. Before calling anything a defect, he examines glue lines, stitching and panel alignment with a 10x loupe. His coverage brings the separate performance observations together with close examination of construction details.

Outdoor and indoor court traction
Outsole rubber compounds
Midsole foam compression
Quality-control photo standards
Sneaker panel construction
Half-size and wide-fit behaviour

Career timeline

2012: Student equipment manager for a community college basketball programme in Sacramento.
2015: Floor lead and QC photographer at a Portland sneaker consignment shop.
2018: Freelance product photographer for independent footwear sellers.
2021: Joined Kako Buy Shoes as reviews editor.
2023: Built the desk's on-court traction test and 40-hour midsole photo set.
2025: Took over the monthly agent timing report.

How I test

Before wear testing, he photographs each pair using a grey card as a reference. He then runs 2 outdoor court sessions of 90 minutes each and 1 indoor session, scoring traction, cushioning and stability separately. After 40 hours of basketball play, he retains midsole photographs. Before identifying a defect, he uses a 10x loupe to inspect glue lines, stitching and panel alignment.

Blog

No articles have been published yet.

Inspect footwear choices

Polo Ralph Lauren Black Sweater Review: Weighed, Louped and Layered for Two Weeks

Our $10.45 Polo Ralph Lauren black knit arrived at 385 g with flat, washed cables and a spec sheet that calls a crew neck hooded. We measured it, washed it twice and wore it for two weeks.
Published Oct 18, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.2 / 5
Amiri Black T-Shirt Review: We Chased the Metallic-Smell Report Through Nine Wear-and-Wash Cycles

We weighed, louped and washed the $18.36 Amiri crew-neck nine times. The cotton and the print held up; the black dye did not stay put, and one buyer's metallic-smell report is worth taking seriously.
Published Oct 18, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.2 / 5
Balenciaga Washed Multicolor T-Shirt Collection Review: A Grey-Card and 10x Loupe Look at 400 g Cotton

We ordered this 22-colorway Balenciaga washed tee run at $24.18, shot it on a grey card, measured it flat and put the embroidery under a 10x loupe. Heavy cotton, clean stitching, and a drop shoulder roomy enough that most buyers should size down.
Published Oct 18, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.2 / 5
Bape Graphic Print Black T-Shirt Review: Under the 10x Loupe, the Print Edge Decides

We ordered the $19.70 Bape graphic tee in two colorways, weighed and measured both, then put a 10x loupe on the heat-transfer edges before and after two cold washes. The cotton is honest; the print is the part that needs babysitting.
Published Oct 18, 2026Updated Oct 18, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.0 / 5
Casablanca Floral White T-Shirt Review: What a Shoe Desk's Calipers Say About a $13.88 Swan Tee

We ordered the $13.88 swan-print tee in three sizes, measured it flat, backlit it and washed it three times. The cut is loose and comfortable; the 250–300 gsm claim on the spec sheet does not match our scale.
Published Oct 18, 2026Updated Oct 18, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.1 / 5
Ami Paris Everyday T-Shirt Collection Review: Loupe, Tape and Three Washes on the $20.60 Navy Heart Tee

We ordered the $20.60 navy heart tee through the Kako Buy agent flow, taped it flat, louped the print and washed it three times cold. The cut is genuinely boxy; the fabric labeling is not genuinely clear.
Published Oct 17, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.2 / 5
Grey Card and a 10x Loupe: Polo Ralph Lauren's $16.57 Black Pony Tee on the Bench

We put the $16.57 loose-cut black Polo tee on the bench: grey-card photos, caliper and 10x loupe checks, then three cold washes. The pony print and sleeve number held up; the collar is the open question.
Published Oct 17, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.1 / 5
MLB Rose Black T-Shirt Review: A 10x Loupe, a Seam Ruler and a Spec Sheet That Argues With Itself

We ordered the $4.18 MLB rose tee in black, put the collar, shoulder seams and print edges under a 10x loupe, and weighed it. The graphic holds; the listing's own specs do not.
Published Oct 17, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.0 / 5
MLB Special Offer T-Shirts Review: After Five Washes, the 230g Tee and the 200g Tee Part Ways

We ordered three colourways of the $4.48 MLB tee, weighed each on the bench, caliper-measured flat chests and ran five wash cycles. The 230g long-staple build is a different shirt from the 200g combed one.
Published Oct 17, 2026Updated Oct 17, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.2 / 5
BAPE Black Print Backpack Review: Loupe-Checking Glue Lines and Stitching on a $12.39 Oxford Bag

Our 10x loupe pass on this $12.39 BAPE print backpack found tight stitching, sloppy glue at one strap anchor and 412 g on the kitchen scale — a loud, light daily bag whose spec sheet still needs one vendor answer.
Published Oct 17, 2026Updated Oct 17, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.0 / 5
Ami Paris Heart-Print Zipper Hoodie Collection Review: A $34.03 Autumn Layer, Measured on the Bench

We ordered the $34.03 Ami Paris heart-print zip hoodie through the Kako Buy agent flow, measured size M on the bench and wore it through a Portland autumn. Here is what the cotton loopback build gets right.
Published Oct 16, 2026Updated Oct 16, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.4 / 5
Adidas Black T-Shirt in Casual Streetwear Style Review: What 180–250 g/m² Cotton Feels Like at $8.36

A loose black cotton crew-neck with a multicolored chest logo and a cartoon hem print, listed at 180–250 g/m². Our bench checks and one cool wash left the size chart and the Adidas-versus-Jintian labelling as the real decision points.
Published Oct 16, 2026By Diego MarchettiHands-on score 4.0 / 5