Mount to Coast - H1

I tried the R1 and had similar arch issues as you, returned them before I even ran in them. I have the H1s and can happily report that there is no arch concern. I did go half a size up in the H1 but I also prefer more space vs snug fit, so that may be a personal choice. Only 20 miles in them but I've really enjoyed them so far.

I haven't and do not use inserts. I do feel a little poke in my arch but it hasn't been bothersome. Only 40 miles in them myself with my longest run being a very hilly 10 miler but no issues on my end.

They feel fine on the road. Outsole is pretty firm so should last a good amount of miles in all terrain scenarios

As many have said, any shoe will fit the bill for this. I run most of my miles on backroads that are dirt/gravel. Road shoes are perfectly fine and on pea gravel it'll even be more consistent than the backroads I run that can have some chunkier loose rocks, washboard sections and potholes. A hybrid or mild trail shoe could provide a little extra grip if needed but not necessary imo. So use what you always train in and try not to overthink it. I only have 70 miles in the mount to coast h1 but it seems like a very comfortable, versatile shoe. About as soft as I'd want in a shoe. My sister in law loves their P1, so any of their road shoes would also likely do. But if you have a pair of road shoes you love, I wouldn't hesitate taking them to this kind of ultra.

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.

001s are worth it if you can find them for $150 (I got mine for $100). I was able to stack over 500 miles on them before I retired them to be my golf shoes. I went a full size up and the fit was ok. Not overly spacious but accommodating. They also run very warm but made for a great winter running shoe since they don't let water in (or out). A very boring and firm shoe that just kept going. 005s not worth it. They are light and the upper is more generous than the 001 but the lace bite through the tongue is miserable and the heel cup jabbed into my achilles like a dagger. The midsole was smoked after about 200 miles for me. I'm not big by any means at 5'9" and 170lbs, so the midsole flattening this early left me pretty disappointed. I only got 260 out of them before tossing them in the trash. I logged 100 training miles in them before running a full 100 miler in them. After those 200 miles I tried logging runs as little as 5 miles and rock hits were piercing through the shoe and my feet would kill me afterwards. So it's hard for me to recommend or justify them at their insane price tag of $325. For half the cost, the Mount to Coast H1 seems like a superior buy in almost every aspect. Heck I ran my latest 100 miler in a pair of cheap ($80) Merrell Nova 4s and they were an excellent shoe. A brand that gets slept on in the trail running space.

These might be edging out the EVO SL as my favorite shoes of the year (and most exciting shoes of the last several years). Feels 85% as bouncy as the EVO SL, but far more stable. Sure, they're heavier than the featherweight EVO SL, but they feel light — especially for a trail shoe with such a durable upper and outsole. I've run some moderate singletrack and had no traction issues on light mud, sand, or wet dirt. Not the most nimble trail shoe and I wouldn't pick it for really technical, rocky/rooty/tight trails, but it doesn't feel like a megastack cruiser and doesn't feel tippy. On roads they just feel like a road shoe. No clip-clop you get with some trail outsoles. I'm most excited to use them as winter road running shoes here in Minneapolis. Should be absolutely perfect for going from packed snow and ice to dry pavement.

I normally take a size 9 to 91/2 (UK) in Saucony, Nike, and Addidas. I have a 9 1/2 in Inov8 and they are too small! My feet are not really long but I have a wide forefoot. I got these in 9 in these H1s and they feel quite roomy.

This is the exact trainer for this exact requirement, non-technical, fast and flowy gravel.

Done a few hundred KM in the H1 now and it is my favourite non technical mountain trail running trainer. The most important things in a trainer to me are durability (I try and put environment first with every decision I make) and fit, i have a fell running background so comfort has never been on my agenda, these trainers have changed how I think about trainers in general. I want to add that they have a foam that uses less fossil fuels in their process and this is what they say about CircleCell. "CircleCELL is the first high performance midsole material to be made of 100% renewable feedstock, including recycled organic waste. Through our state-of-the-art supercritical foaming, CircleCELL offers PEBA-level energy return with almost double PEBA's running lifespan." The reason i'm super excited about this is that if we swapped absolutely every plastic item (including trainers) on the planet, we'd only need to use 1% of our landmass to grow the plants and resources required to make new bioplastics. The upper is made with kevlar fibers in areas that are known to break so they're aiming for durability. Now that i've got the environmental bit out I'll add my 2p. So i've done a few hundred km in them and they are still like brand new. The 2mm tread has been a phenomenal surprise and showing no signs of wear and i've worn these on some technical, dry and rocky trails over the last couple of months. I honestly did not think I could get away with such small tread. I would honestly run a road marathon in these trainers they've been that comfortable and then I also know i've got tread incase i'm hitting some trails or even mountain runs too. The caveat to this is that its been pouring down the last week and the trails have turned in to slop in places and it's only just holding up, but this is on less than 1-2% of my trail run. Wet rocks, loose gravel, pretty much everything i've worn them on has been great, they have surprised me hugely. But I run in Decathlon trainers mostly which use their own sole/tread and i've always found these better than most Vibram soles i've tested (not all though). I have a background in technical mountain/fell running and always worn aggressive trainers for this type of running, which means low stack height. The H1 has the biggest stack height i've ever worn and it has surprised me how well it's felt on technical areas. There is one issue, if i'm absolutely gunning it, think 5-10km mountain race on technical terrain, because of the stack height, i've had one or two moments were I felt a little out of control. I believe if someone doesn't have as quick as feet or a technical mountain running background and they're trying to absolutely fly on a mountain descent that is technical, they may have issues with stability. Given that, for longer slightly slower runs they are absolute weapons on any terrain (minus super wet/muddy) i've tested them on. As I said above, the trainers still feel like new and have been one of the biggest surprise trainers i've worn, but remember, they are literally one of the first high stack/super shoe i've tried that aren't aggressive/low stack fell running trainers, so i have nothing else to compare them too other than my usual trail/fell running trainers i've worn. I am very very impressed with them, even more so because it looks like the durability is there which they're advertising, 2mm lugs are still 2mm and the other environmental processes they're trying give me hope for the industry. They're also a brand new trail running shoe company and have hit the market with their own trainer (in its entirety) and are trying big things that ask less of the planet and new ideas on the trainer such as the double lace system.

The grip on wet paths, road and smooth rocks has been very good, its been pouring down here in Wales the last couple of weeks and been well and truly tested and I am very very happy.

I have 50 miles on my H1s and love them. I was a Peg Trail guy in the past but the H1 blows those away IMHO. One of the best midsoles around.

Mount to Coast H1 comes out Thursday and I’ll be buying them for this exact reason

Mount to Coast H1

They are great, got 50 miles on mine and love them

Good point, I have the H1 as well and that’s great on the trails

Congrats on your training and upcoming race! Sometimes you can get away with your road shoes on mixed roads but March in NJ might be wet/muddy/slippery, so you might want some shoes that have lugs and a bit more grip. Mount to Coast H1 is a hybrid shoe, you can also look at the Terrex line from Adidas if you like Adidas fits, or La Sportiva prodigio pro if you're ok with spending more money. You'll want to prioritize stability so you don't roll your ankle over rocks and roots.

You’ve literally described Mount to Coast R1 and H1. I have the R1, I’m the same height but 180lb, still on the heavy side. Cant know if they feel comfortable at your weight, but no shoe advertise that anyway. I’d go with these two options but if you try one shoe first, go with the H1 since you might find that it suits you for both road and trail. I know the R1s have an 8mm drop so transitioning from 0mm to 8mm, your hip make a beating. Since you’re going for endurance and long distances, no shoe will spare you legs, you’ll need to be doing strength training, even for your knees.

I’m going to have to agree. Went on a short 5 mile run this morning. Some single track, fire road and mostly sidewalk. 10/10. I have nothing negative to say about this shoe so far. One of the best shoes I’ve had in a long time

Just walking around on hardwood, I can tell that it isn’t Vibram Mega Grip Lite Base good, but it’s better than most proprietary grips out there. I would say it’s better than Salomon’s Contagrip or whatever they use.

I have fairly narrow feet as well and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that these weren’t wide to begin with. With the two zone lacing system, you can easily dial in your fit. I don’t think you’ll have an issue.

I went with my normal size 8 and they were true to size for me

They are available 9/25. My local store has been selling them though. I was heavily persuaded into these after talking to them.

Apparently it is 35/29 6mm drop. The toe box is is one of my favorite things about this shoe. Perfect for my feet

If this is your first foray into trail running shoes, you aren’t really going to go wrong. You wont really know what all you personally need until you put some miles in some. And let’s be honest you are going to end up getting more than one pair as time goes on. Someone mentioned the Hoka Speedgoat. That is a good shoe as a starting test. If you race, you’ll see them everywhere for good reason. They are a good overall and hold up well to most terrain. I would suggest looking into Mount to Coast H1. It is a good blend between road and trail, and durability on Mount to Coast is high (this comes from someone with about 20 trail shoes and 15ish road shoes). I prefer a few more pricey shoes for racing, but to get to know what you need I would get something that you will be able to wear on most terrain, then figure out what specifications you want from there. Welcome to dirt surfing 🤙

They are a legit hybrid shoe - really working well on both road and trail. They could easily be used as an everyday road runner, and I found they they are stable and performant enough on at least moderate trails. I sized up by a half compared to the R1 - the R1 has a very spacious and rounded toebox. The T1 especially and this H1 a little bit, are tapered somewhat at the front. I have R1 in a 9.5 and the H1 in 10.0 is a great fit. I have T1 in 9.5, but I ideally would also have a 10 due to rubbing on the big toe side. Essentially the R1 is a lot more spacious than both H1 and T1. They feel really like a "regular" shoe - no crazy stack, or super squish, or weird rocker. Great for walking around, running, travel, casual use. Price is very good for what you get. That is my unsponsored analysis as an independent shoe guy! I try many, many shoes and give only unbiased opinions. Hope that helps.