Diamond horseshoes have been around for many years. They were sold primarily into the mass merchandise market with their picnic sets. Diamonds were originally made of hard steel (a big disadvantage to anyone throwing a lot of ringers). The introduction of the "dead soft" Diamond Tournament Shoe in the early 1980's, proved to be quite successful. Even though it is not quite as soft as other truly "dead soft" pitching shoes, it has now become one of the more popular shoes among serious players. If you study the shoe, you'll notice that it is a blend between the Gordon, Imperial and Allen, at a substantially lower price. These horseshoes are definitely a step up from what you see in department stores!