Mount to Coast H1 Review
By Bach Pham and Matthew Klein
Mount to Coast H1Price: $160 at Mount to Coast
Weight: 8.5 oz, 242g (men's size 9), oz, g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 35 mm heel / 29 mm forefoot
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Neutral daily trainer
Pros: Versatile, lighter weight trainer for those seeking a less tall stack height
Cons: Slight heel rubbing if fit is off, short fit for an ultramarathon shoe
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Mount to Coast H1 is a lighter weight daily trainer that can be used on road and mild trails. The CircleCELL midsole is unique in that it is made up of "20 pounds of organic waste and residual biomass" that is transformed into a supercritical foam. The result is a surprisingly lighter weight sole that provides an easy turnover. The versagrip outsole provides heavy duty traction for roads and enough traction for most mild mannered trails. The H1 is a good option for any runner seeking a lighter, lower stacked neutral shoe that can be used on a variety of surfaces.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Novablast 5 TR, Salomon Aero Glide GRL, Reebok Floatride
PAST MODEL: New Model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Mount to Coast H1 fits me slightly short in my normal men's US size 10. The sizing in the H1 has been consistent with all their models. Those using these for longer distances should consider going up a half size. The upper is a dual-zone jacquard mesh. This provides a light fit but is offset by a noticeable and thick toe guard up front. The toe guard makes the shoe feel short but has not been problematic on runs. The width is fairly normal with some adjustability. The toe box feels tapered but opens up into a slightly wider forefoot. The volume depends on the separate forefoot lacing. This can be adjusted to a lower volume, slightly snug and slightly longer fit by tightening the laces or a higher volume slightly wider and slightly short fit by loosening them. This continues into a normal-width midfoot with a secure, gusseted tongue.
The tongue has a normal instep and is quite comfortable against the top of the foot. The heel fits normally with moderate heel collar cushioning and a stiff counter. There is some heel padding but the heel counter is noticeable and stiff. As I have some heel sensitivity right now, I have noticed the counter and it has bother me but not enough to stop me from running. A half size up might fix this, but those with sensitive heels should approach with caution. Those who want a stiffer counter will do quite well. The security in the upper is quite good. I have not experienced any heel slippage or translation even when turning. Most of the upper is comfortable even going sockless. The exception is the toe guard although it cause me no issues even going up to 7 miles without socks. Given the ultramarathon focus of this shoe, I will still recommend at least thin socks.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Bach: The Mount to Coast H1 features a fairly well-fitting upper. The toebox gave me decent room over the forefoot and the length was true-to-size for me. I did have to play with the lacing a little bit. When the lacing was tighter, I found the heel to rub slightly and cause a little discomfort. When I eased the laces a bit, but still used a heel lock lacing technique for security, the rubbing seemed to go away. The laces when you do use this technique is very short though, so you'll have to work a little magic. The upper breathes well and was fairly comfortable over long periods of time. The tongue is simple and gave me no issues. I used the shoe one day for both a run and a long two hour trail hike afterwards and did not have any fit issues. There is no sidewalls or real structure in the upper, which did make the shoe feel very neutral feeling. If you have major stability issues, medial in particular, you might want to get a more secure shoe as it is not hard to collapse slightly into the upper.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Bach well:
Nike Pegasus 40, Saucony Guide 17, Mizuno Wave Inspire 19, Saucony
Endorphin Speed 3, Nike Structure 25
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Asics Kayano 30, Puma Electrify Nitro, Brooks Hyperion, Hoka Clifton 9 GTX
Shoes that have fit large: Hoka Gaviota 5, Reebok Floatride Energy X
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Okay
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: No
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Average
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: Somewhat
Durability Expectation: High
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Mount to Coast H1 is road road-trail hybrid lightweight trainer. The midsole is full length CircleCell, a nitrogen-infused supercritical foam. It feels similar to a TPU-based foam, but is supposed to have a similar feel to PEBA. Compared to previous Mount to Coast foams, CircleCell is slightly softer with far more bounce. Rather than feeling like it absorbs shock and gives nothing back like other MTC foams, CircleCell has a pleasant, mild to moderate bounce to it. Combined with a lighter weight, this provides some pace versatility while still feeling great over long runs.
There is a moderate amount of stack height underfoot, feeling comparable to many daily trainers. There is a 6mm drop, although it feels slightly lower due to the softer foam. The heel transition is decent thanks to the presence (finally) of small bevel. The bevel is slightly medially biased, so there is a little clunkiness initially but it is far better than prior models. This continues into a easy transitioning midfoot and forefoot. There is no plate in the midsole but the RB rubber outsole adds stiffness making for a less flexible ride up front. However, there a large and long forefoot rocker with mild toe spring that makes for an easy transition off the toes. Those with mild-to-moderate toe mobility issues may be fine but those looking for the stiffest ride may struggle. Regardless, this is the most rockered ride of any shoe so far in the Mount to Coast line up. It transitions easily without feeling awkward and the midsole foam adds to an ability to easily get through training and long miles. The increased responsiveness also makes this a decent option for uptempo workouts including tempo runs and fartleks. Attempting to go faster than half marathon to 10k pace becomes a struggle as the foam does not respond that fast, but this may be an option for shorter trail races given its lightweight relative to other trail shoes.
Surface-wise, this shoe really does have versatility. I have run on road, gravel, bark trails, single track and sand in the H1 and it has done fine. The 2mm outsole lugs grip well on wet road and most trails without issue and it does especially well during climbing on non-technical trails. On more technical and muddy terrain this shoe struggles but it easily transitions between road and moderate terrain well. Given the lack of a rock plate, more intense rocks are noticeable but there is enough midsole foam to provide decent protection for other moderate obstacles. Thanks to the RB rubber, the durability so far has been excellent. I have 30 miles on my pair and there is no wear at all on the outsole. The outsole lugs also look completely fine with road use. Combined with this experience and prior MTC shoes, I would expect a high number of miles out of this shoe regardless of the surface. The midsole is holding up well, but I will need more miles to determine how that wears compared to the outsole.
Bach: The Mount to Coast H1 was a fairly solid everyday trainer for me. The CircleCELL midsole does offers a closer to TPU-feeling than PEBA. The result is a shoe that is on the much lighter side. We have tested a lot of high stack height shoes this year that are typically north of 9 oz. The H1 is a refreshing bit lighter, which helps provide a very easy turnover. This would definitely be a shoe I would throw in the light and responsive category of footwear, rather than soft and cushioned. You do feel a little bit more of a grounded feeling with the shoe thanks to its lower stack height, but there is still more than enough underfoot to feel protected.
The shoe's lightness does allow for a greater variety of paces. I enjoyed the shoe at my everyday slow jogger pace, but could pick it up for some light workouts as well. It fits in that Saucony Ride category of jack of all trades, master of none. If you are someone who thrives on lower stack height shoes in particular, I think this could be a great option for longer runs. The shoe also makes sense as a road-to-trail shoe as it handles uphill running well. The stability is a little wonky for severe downhill running, but fine for regular hills. I personally do like having some more cushion underfoot for those over one hour runs and would likely gravitate toward a shoe like the HOKA Mach X 3 which is my personal go-to in 2025. The H1 could be a longer distance shoe for those who both like some more grounded feeling and are light on their feet. One knock on the shoe is that the heel is clunky, especially on the lateral side. I run more midfoot forward so I tend to be on the best side of the shoe, but heel strikers might not like the rearfoot here.
The outsole is very grippy and has enough lugs to take you on a variety of surfaces. I used the shoe on both road and trail and found that it was good on either surface. I would not take the shoe on a highly technical trail though as the upper is light and less durable than a rugged trail trainer, and the lugs are not that deep for really muddy conditions. If you are looking to just run on relatively well-cared for trails though, this could be a good option. Mount to Coast claims the shoe has 600 miles in it. I think the midsole likely will give out before that, but I'll keep testing long-term to see, because this has been a good trainer for me as a whole.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Mount to Coast H1 is a neutral daily trainer. There are no traditional methods of stability present and it is not as stable as the Mount to Coast P1. However, the wider shape and straight last add some inherent stability to the sole. There is also a higher arch that was noticeable initially but has begun to break in. The medial-biased heel bevel and slightly more lateral flare do create some mild medial bias at the rearfoot. This is offset up front by small sidewalls in the forefoot, which combined the wider shape up front has worked surprisingly well for my mechanics. On longer runs I start to notice that rearfoot, so those that need some additional lateral flare in the heel may do well in this shoe. Overall the Mount to Coast H1 is a solid neutral shoe that isn't unstable or overly stable.
Bach: The H1 is a fairly neutral daily trainer. The firmer sole does help provide a little bit of rigidity underfoot which helped me get my test miles in comfortably. The upper, however is a bit on the less secure side and the midfoot narrows enough that it ultimately runs neutral overall. My flat feet was able to handle the H1, but I definitely could have used a little bit more midfoot width to be fully comfortable. If you are borderline and just need a little support, you might be fine, but those who need a lot of medial help will want to look elsewhere.
The shoe does have a lot of lateral sole flare though, which may be helpful for those who have lateral stability needs.
Thoughts as a Cultural Anthropologist: What Do You Look for in a Midsole?
By Bach Pham
Being able to test a large array of shoes at Doctors of Running is a real privilege in being able to test dozens of shoes annually. It's allowed me to try a lot of different midsoles, more than most people ever get the chance to try. What I've learned in my time here is that there are definitely some different buckets of midsoles that shoes fall into, and the preferences for that "feeling" can vary greatly runner-to-runner.
Here are characteristics we often see:
- Soft
- Plush/Cushioned
- Firm
- Protective
- Bouncy
- Lightweight
- Responsive
- Grounded
- Rockered
- "Flat" (not rockered)
Everyone is a little different, which is why we have so many of these choices in the market. It can also be tricky because we each experience shoes differently. A shoe can be firm to one person, and plush to another due to a number of variables. This is why it is so important to try shoes and get your own impression. Once you get enough different feelings underfoot, you can start breaking down which feeling you are looking for in a shoe and narrow your choices down to the ideal shoe for your needs. If you are having trouble making those decisions, there are tools to help you get there like Matt Klein's favorite, the RUN-CAT.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The H1 showcases several improvements for Mount to Coast. The first is CircleCell, which is by far the most comfortable foam they have. It has a nice balance of mild softness and responsiveness that keeps it appropriate for both road and trail with a little versatility to pick up the pace. The second is the inclusion of a heel bevel. However, the heel bevel is the first place where I have a recommendation. For an ultramarathon or long distance shoe, the heel bevel should be laterally facing (not medial) given that most runners land at the posterolateral part of the heel. My second major recommendation is to fix the sizing of the upper. I have found every Mount to Coast shoe to fit slightly short. Unless I need to start wearing a 10.5 in all their shoes, I would expect a little extra room for an ultramarathon shoe. Ultramarathon shoes should be able to handle foot swelling and over longer miles the toe guard starts to cause some irritation given my toes are pressed up against it. The H1 does signal another step forward for Mount to Coast and with a few tweaks the H2 can continue this progress.
Bach: The H1 from both a sustainable and performance perspective is an impressive trainer. It does provide a heap of performance, and one of the best feelings underfoot for a shoe that is heavily focused on using sustainable materials. For runners who need a touch more stability, I think having a little more structure in the upper would be a good little change MtC can make in v2. Additionally, I think the heel is a touch clunky and could use a better lateral heel bevel to smoothen the ride out over long distances. The weight is in a good place, so minor tweaks is all the shoe needs to really get to that next step.
Also, this is dumb, but I'd like Mount to Coast to work on some kind of logo or design rather than plastering the brand name in big font on the shoe. I think they have a fine mountain top symbol that would do more than fine for identifying the brand. I feelmore people would be open to using it for other uses outside of athletic activity if it was a little more nuanced in that regard.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Mount to Coast H1 is a road/trail hybrid for those who want a lighter-weight shoe with versatility across surfaces and some paces. Most people should go up a half size if they are using this for ultra distances and will find an adjustable, comfortable upper once they dial in the fit. Those wanting a slightly softer, lighter and bouncier ride in a moderate stack height will enjoy how the shoe runs. Those wanting a shoe that can handle easily switching between road and light to moderate trails have a solid and durable option. While there are still a few tweaks that need to happen in version two of their line, the H1 is another clear indicator of forward progress for Mount to Coast!
Bach: The Mount to Coast H1 is a road and mild trail trainer for runners who crave a little less stack height, but all the modern technology and a focus on sustainability. The shoe packs a lot of value, being versatile for different environments and a good walking shoe as well which I haven't talked about. I was able to hike very comfortably and stay on my feet all day in this model, making it one of my new favorite shoes to pack for traveling in case I want to do literally anything.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Slightly short fit but comfortable upper that can be adjusted easily)
Performance: A- (Rolling, slightly bouncy ride with traction on a variety of surfaces that can go long, easy and uptempo)
Stability: B+ [Neutral] (Mild medial bias at heel but wider shape and forefoot sidewalls provide a neutral but not unstable ride)
Value: A- (Solid price for a versatile, highly durable shoe)
Personal: B+ (The versatility is great both surface and pace wise but the upper has been a little challenge to dial in. My sensitive Achilles is playing into this right now and I probably need to try a 1/2 size larger)
Overall Design: A-
Bach
Fit: B+ (Aside from heel adjustments, the shoe fits well and feels dialed in)
Performance: B+ (A light and airy ride that fits the moderate stack height, versatile daily training category)
Stability: B (Fairly neutral shoe with some mild lateral stability)
Value: A- (The versatility of road and trail along with durability makes it a great value)
Personal: A- (I have enjoyed Mount to Coast shoes so far and this one is no exception. A few tweaks from becoming what could be a fan favorite trainer)
Overall Design: A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORMount to Coast H1Price: $160 at Mount to Coast
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
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Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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