I’ve been running in these for a few weeks, mine have around 100 miles on them now and I really like them. My miles have been about 70/30 split between normal trail and rail trail, and the shoes perform well on both. I just picked up a pair of T1s to try as well. Overall stoked with Mount to Coast, but I agree that I would appreciate some different colorways. My husband called the pair of T1s I got “hearing aid brown” 😂
Look at the Mount to Coast H1. It’s a hybrid shoe. I’ve worn it on the treadmill, rail trail, and normal east coast mountain trails (rooty & rocky) with no issues at all. I just switched in the last month or so after years consistently running in the Timp & Olympus because I was starting to have some plantar fasciitis issues. Fell in love with MtC and now run in the H1 & just scooped a pair of T1s. I think it’s a 6mm drop, but worth eyeballing.
It's a solid shoe. I have 150 miles on my pair and have enjoyed them through all paces and terrains. It definitely lacks grip like a trail shoe would offer but that was expected. They do great on dirt or back roads which is where a majority of my miles come. I'm showing minimal to no outsole wear so far. I did away with the dual lacing system and just tossed a normal pair of laces in. I also think they run warm and carry a bit of stench.
These are my favourite shoes at the moment. I have almost 400km and plan on doing a 500km review.
The upper is great, fit is perfect for me, and the foam is my favourite in any shoe I have ever run in. I can best describe it as comfortable and firm, with a distinct bounce to it. Its gentle on the feet but you don't sink in, so even ripping 400m pace is fun and enjoyable. It gets completely out of the way and lets you lock into a very enjoyable pace with ease.
The two qualms I had originally were the arch and the toe bumper, but both broke in after about an hour of running.
my face when I bought a pair of mount to coast H1's just off the strength of Kilian Korth's substack.
2 weeks later, it's publicly announced that he's sponsored by them.
Don't get me wrong, LOVE the shoe, and they will be my 50-miler shoes. But man, I feel like a buffoon.
I wrote a review for the Mount to Coast C1. I've run 159miles in the shoe.
I got an automated take down, I think because I don't have enough karma.
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Met some of the M2C PR staff at The Running Event. They seeded me the C1 for testing in early February. Bought the H1s with my own money, but these were free.
Since then, I've put 159 miles on them. I'm 5'11, 150lbs. Just ran a half marathon PB of 1:10:20 (in the On Cloudboom Strike).
TLDR: Great long run shoe, great pace versatility, questionable outsole durability, relatively good value at $180, true to size.
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M2C took the circle cell foam that made the H1 really good and put it into a road-focused, high stack, non-plated trainer. It's been great to me. It competes directly with the Asics Superblast and the Mizuno Neo Vista. For me, it competes indirectly with Vomero Plus (which is more narrow, features a more aggressive geometry, and a bouncier foam), the Brooks Hyperion Max 3, and barely the Puma Mag Max (leans more recovery, not so versatile).
What most people will be excited to hear: C1 can run slow or fast very comfortably. The heel bevel and forefoot rocker are super accommodating. I think people who run easy at 12min per mile and people who run easy at 7min per mile can both like this shoe.
I've run some really good workouts in this shoe. Normally nothing faster than threshold pace. I've done marathon pace work, some grind-y long runs in the low 6s, and some hills at half marathon pace. The shoe's toe isn't necessarily helping you pick up the pace, but it's not stopping you at all, and it's not demanding that you strike in some specific way.
For example, I did a 22 mile long run in sub6 minute average, and it was fine for the whole thing. There were some 5:15s in there and a couple of 7 flats in that effort. I finished the run and was of course hurting, but my feet were well protected the whole time with some hills in there on what was overall a really big effort. In terms of non-plated racing options for a full marathon, this has to be up there with SuperBlast and MegaBlast.
It's been a cold winter, but I think the upper will breathe well in hotter climates. The shoe is a pontoon boat, a wide platform from front to back, but it's not heavy and in my opinion it's not slow.
The C1 is good on wet pavement. The traction isn't good on snow or ice, just looking at the outsole it's not surprising. In contrast the M2C H1 is a great road shoe for bad/winter conditions. On the C1, the rubberized EVA layer on the outsole is relatively soft. It grips pavement well but is wearing through faster than I'd like. I noticed when M2C advertises shoes lasting X miles for Y days of Z ultra marathon, they rarely show the bottoms. I don't have experience with the R1 (hopefully soon). The H1 traction is nuts, hasn't changed at all in 100 miles of winter road, light trail, and treadmill running. It seems like the rubberized EVA carrier is going to wear down before the circle cell foam or the upper. I'd like to get at least 400 miles out of any shoe that costs over $160, but I'm not sure that's going to happen here. Additionally, the circle cell foam is starting to feel not super protective in my H1s after just about 200 miles...we'll see.
Out of the box, the circle cell foam felt great. It draws comparison to LightStrikePro. It's relatively firm and super responsive, not squishy, not bouncy but comfortable and resilient. Ready for anything really. There's good sidewalls on this shoe, I'd call it stable neutral. There's a pretty plush sockliner as well for improved step in feel.
The toe box of the C1 is wider than most brands, which is typical for M2C, not quite anatomical (like Topo or Altra) but just accommodating. I think accommodating is a great thing for a running shoe to be. When my foot swells during a long run, the extra toe box room is great. But it's not a sloppy fit. My ankle and midfoot are secure in the shoe.
The dual lacing is a bit gimmicky, but it doesn't bother me. It takes me slightly longer to lace it up than a standard road shoe...but if I were running longer than 2.5 hours, I think this feature could be useful.
I like the look of the shoe. I wanted the black version to hide the sweat and deal with the dirt better. Both the white upper and insides of this shoe got stained from me wearing black socks. Additionally, if they remove one or two branding elements (typeface, little logos, etc) it'd be even better.
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Buy it at full price for $180? Yes.
For $180, this is a better shoe than the Neo Vista 2 (it has more pace versatility) and depending on outsole durability, this might be a better value than the Megablast or Superblast 3. I haven't tested those shoes, so I can't speak to the performance or longevity of FF Leap...but this shoe is really good.
Overall Grade: A-
Changes: Give us a better rubberized EVA compound or some actual outsole rubber. I'd even be fine with a little more weight in exchange for more durability.
Can't argue with a shoe that fits true to size, no hot spots on the upper, can run fast and slow, and can do a 150 minute long run.
Big picture brand discussion: What I initially liked about M2C was their marketing around durability. There's an obvious planned obsolescence around running footwear that keeps us coming back for more. I hope that M2C fulfills their promise of making products for athletes who transcend distance, not just for ultra-marathoners, but for high-mileage grinders.
M2C makes a product that feels differentiated right now on the material side of things, but there seems to be a compromise around durability here. While they're currently charging less than standard market rate for a shoe like the C1 (maybe $20-40 less than their competition), they will eventually adjust prices once they're no longer a "challenger" brand. If this shoe was $200 or $220, I wouldn't be recommending it so highly. If I have to retire this shoe at 360 miles, then the grade comes down to a B.
Other shoes I've liked: Mizuno Neo Vista 2, Topo Specter 2, Mount to Coast H1, Topo Atmos 1, Adizero SL 2
Other shoes I didn't like: Brooks Adrenaline 25, New Balance SC Elite V4, Craft Endurance 2
I think you're guaranteed 4-500miles at least out of each shoe.
You nailed the use cases. The C1 is a great daily trainer to threshold pace shoe. The H1 is a great travel shoe.
I had it in my head that I'd get each shoe closer to 700-800miles based on marketing. I think you're guaranteed 500miles out of each.
Both are good shoes. Compared to other brands, they're just fine in terms of durability. I'm not sure they're quite living up to the marketing.
The claims they make around circle cell are like...same energy return as PEBA but 50% more durable or something like that? An of course peba is a vague label as there's tons of different kinds.
Particularly in the forefoot, I don't fee like I have a ton of protection on my H1s after 400km. I also did a couple hard sessions on road and a hard treadmill workout in them (25km) which could be contributing. I still run them on gravel and trail and they feel good. It just doesn't feel like they remain at this level until 600km, but who knows
the traction durability on the H1 absolutely lives up to the hype. there is ZERO wear on mine after almost 200 miles on road, trail, and treadmill. Great crappy conditions (winter/rainy) road shoe.
based on my miles, I would not describe the foam as dead.
I ran about 160miles in my pair (given to me in February because I met someone from M2C at TRE) and could threshold pace in them no problem. I could run marathon pace in them no problem and ran multiple marathon sessions in them, including a 22mile long run at 5:53per mile pace. I understand why reviewers are using the word "dead" but when I pick the pace, the shoe responds really well. It's far better than the Neo Vista 2 at these speeds. I can't speak to the Superblast or Megablast.
I also don't find the fit/shape of the shoe to be a limiting factor for speed.
Considering this shoe only for recovery miles or zone 2 running is doing it a disservice.
Agreed! It's not mind blowing but I think it's firmly in the middle of the super trainer ranks. There were a couple neutral to negative reviews from the YouTubers, but I really like the shoe!
allweloveweleavebhnd
