A fairly new brand, Mount to Coast’s running shoe line up currently consist of the T1 ($180), which is a full-on trail shoe, and the H1, a lower-lugged versatile road to trail shoe that definitely fits the gravel shoe mold. The supercritical midsole—a material made by pumping gas into the foam as it’s being formed—is made from 100 percent renewable materials. Sometimes “sustainable” midsoles underperform against their petrochemical-based rivals, but this PEBA-like foam serves up a good energy and a lively, fun ride that strides seamlessly from road to light trails.
It’s not as cushioned as the Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL, but you get a regular cushioned daily trainer energy with grip that makes it easy to transition from road miles to off-road terrain. The 2 mm lugs grip well on wet roads, hardpack dry dirt, and gravel, but they won’t handle mud, steep, and slippery or very soft terrain as well as your deeper-lugged traditional trail running shoes.
The H1 is also brilliantly light, which is something that trail and gravel shoes sometimes struggle with and makes the road performance even better. Finally, the H1 has a unique dual-lacing setup that combines regular lacing and quick lacing to help you adjust lockdown separately in forefoot and mid foot. In theory, this is a good thing if your feet swell during ultras and you need more room as the run goes on, but I found it a bit fiddly and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.5 oz |
| Heel-to-toe drop | 6 mm |
| Lug depth | 2 mm |
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