Mount to Coast - T1

Plus one for MTC. I actually really appreciate the separate lacing so that you can have a wider toe box area (and even let it out if you are swelling a lot) and still have good lockdown with the top lacing. I have a few hundred miles on a par of R1 and still under 100 on my T1, but I'm liking them so far

I have the Mount to Coast T1 and have run perhaps 25 miles in them in the past couple of weeks. They're my first peba trail shoe and honestly they feel great. The upper feels like it provides a ton of support, the outsole is excellent and the midsole is just perfect. I've had the R1 for a long time - if these last half as long as them, they'll still be incredible value. Haven't tried the other two, sorry!

Topo Ultraventure are great, but also Mount to Coast T1, which are much more like the Speedgoat 5. Ran in there yesterday and plenty of cushion and room, but still light and nimble.

I have 200 miles on the Tomir 2s and a few runs in the Mount to Coast T1. For me, the Tomir 2s are durable medium stack shoes for runs up to around 20 miles-marathon and do uphills well. The T1s are high cushion (but not max) light, and fast. T1 cushioning is softer than Tomir 2's but not overly so like in a road shoe. I haven't used the T1 enough to say anything on durability. I like them both but they don't overlap as much in category. If I had to pick 1 I would go for the T1 because I prefer a higher stack/cushion

Check out the Saucony Xodus Ultra 3, Topo MTN Racer or Pursuit at a store. If you're feeling more adventurous, the Mount to Coast T1 is worth a look. I liked their R1 road shoe so I gave the T1 a shot. Maybe 20 miles in them so far but they are grippy, cushioned, and fast feeling when I pick up the pace. The split lacing system is a bit odd but you can swap them for laces you have lying around. The cushioning is relatively bouncy so if I run fast/hard downhill and stomp on a sharp rock I will feel it as if I were running in a medium stack shoe without a plate, but otherwise the T1 is what the Speedgoat (former long time user here with several pairs of 3s, 4s, and Evo) and MTN Racer should aspire to be.

Same thing for me when trying the Speedgoat 6, tongue was too short and the shoes felt a bit short around my ankles. Wearing thicker socks or applying some tape to where the tongue digs in relieved the issue, but the shoe was otherwise a touch too narrow for me. I have ~50 miles in the Mount to Coast T1 and it's the relatively light weight, medium-high stack, comfortable toe box having shoe I wanted out of Hoka and Topo.

Mount to Coast T1 is worth a look. I only have a few runs so far and can't say much, but to me it checks the boxes of high cushion, high grip, low drop, wide toe box, lightweight, and fast feeling without any tradeoffs. In other words, the Speedgoat but wider, or the MTN Racer but faster. The only thing of potential concern so far is the lacing: the lacing near the toes is separate from the rest of the lacing and they use speed laces similar to Salomon. I generally prefer regular laces and want to be able to use heel lock lacing.

I should have added that I currently have the MtC T1 and i'm loving them, but only done 100km so cant say how they are for durability. Going from their road shoes though, they should be right up there and im hoping for at least 1400km out of them.

Topo are roomier for sure ill say for me the t1 toe box feel like a wide hoka but certainly not as roomier than the ultraventure or mtn racer. But I’m 2E and they’re enough wide for me.

i was given a pair at cocodona. ive put over 200 miles on them since then and i am still obsessed. the dual lacing system is crucial for me on long runs. the t1s are also awesome when you need more traction and they have drain plugs but i still prefer the h1s overall.

That’s super helpful insight, thanks for sharing! I’ve had a similar experience with the Lone Peaks and Speedgoats losing rebound quicker than I’d like. Interesting that you’re finding the Timp 5’s Ego Max firmer but longer lasting—that lines up with what others have told me too. I haven’t logged miles in the Mafate Speed 4 yet, but I’ve heard a lot of good things. And totally agree on the Zegama 2—the heel cup/sock liner setup is such a weird miss for an otherwise solid shoe. Which shoe are you leaning toward trying next? I'm going to be trying out the T1 by Mount to Coast coming up.

Yes, I picked up a pair of T1s - giving them some time and more miles. I get it with the Hoka Mafate Speeds—sometimes the discount colors are just too hard to pass up, I have more pairs of ugly Mach 5s than I will admit because I wasn't a fan of 6s. How does the MS5 feel compared to the MS4?

Personally I like the T1 the most out of the 3. Tomir 2 are comfy but the laces are too thin and feels more like crunch than cushion on certain terrain and the rocker is just a bit too forward for comfortable paces. Norda 001 have the best lacing fit for that I’ve ever experienced on a trail shoe, but the midsole is hard and jarring on long runs. Mount to Coast T1 are much softer and bouncier; they have a nice, wide toebox, and feel lighter than the Norda and Nnormal, but I found the dual laces to be far too long, so I tried tying a knot in the opposite end from the lace pull, but ended up swapping over to the laces instead.

When it comes to footwear (and really most things in running), it's important to note that everything works for somebody, but nothing works for everybody. There is no "best" and things that you need to prioritize may not be what someone else needs to prioritize. Similarly, some people are highly sensitive to shoe choice while others can seemingly get on fine with anything. It's really all over the board when it comes to shoes. >What’s your current rotation and why? For road, Adidas Evo SL for speed/tempo stuff and Mount to Coast R1 for everything else. The Evo SL is bouncy, fast, and fun, which makes it perfect for speed work. The R1 has soft but resilient foam and a wide-ish toe box, which makes it comfortable for pretty much any distance. Evidently the R1 is super durable, so I'm looking forward to seeing how long they hold up. On trail, my go-to long run and race shoe is the Nike Zegama 2 as it does everything well and is extremely durable (my current pair has over 700 miles on them and they still feel good). For everything else, I use either the Merrell Agility Peak 5 or the Mount to Coast T1 depending on how I'm feeling and where I'm running. The Agility Peak is firmer and more nimble, the T1 is somehow both more stable and more comfortable. I would honestly be fine exclusively using either the Zegama or the T1 as they're both that good. I wouldn't want to do an ultra in the Agility Peak due to the firmness, but they're fabulous for shorter stuff. >Also, do you feel a lower drop helped or hurt your calves? Neither one really. After coming back from a long, injury-related hiatus, I found that 0mm drop caused my plantar fasciitis to flare up a bit, but I was also relatively weak at that point. I'm fairly certain it wouldn't be a problem now, but I just don't have any 0mm drop shoes on hand at the moment to test with. Beyond that, I can't reasonably associate any good or bad effects with shoe drop with my own running, but I do have a friend who stopped buying anything with less than an 8mm drop because he kept having Achilles tendon problems with low drop shoes.

I'm loving mine. I've had them since June and have done a variety of runs in them, from casual easy runs to uphill interval workouts. And they seem to handle everything well, and in every kind of weather. The only significant downside for me was that I didn't care for the dual lacing system so I cut them out and put in some regular laces.

As mentioned, the 0mm drop is almost certainly what's aggravating your Achilles. But I totally get you, I ran in Lone Peaks for ages until a foot injury a couple years ago, now my Achilles tendons can't deal with them at all. Anyway, if you like the extra wide toe box, look at some of Topo's offerings. The NNormal Tomir 2 might also be worth checking out. And for something higher stack, check out the Mount to Coast T1. Best of luck finding something!

I just tried the Mount to Coast T1 Trail today and they are extremely nice and comfy. I was really impressed. They say their pros and testers have commented on their durability and racked up 400+ miles without compromise. That could be marketing talk but at this price point, I’ll probably try a pair once my Norda is close to end of life. I love the grip and feel of my 001 but not sure if I love them for longer runs (~75 miles in).

If its in reference to what you mentioned, I have had zero issues with that. Has felt wonders on my feet.

I love mine for the terrain I am in (steep, rocky). Biggest criticism is the upper lacing system loosens up consistently around 1:30-2hrs into my local runs (read elsewhere someone encountered similar issues on more technical terrains). Otherwise, they have been killer! Glad you like yours : ?

True! I have the R1’s for road and have never had issues with loosening, wonder if that would have been the case sticking with a similar design? But nevertheless awesome shoes!

Yep, Im going to post an initial thoughts review on mine, but I run anywhere from 200-210 lbs and the foam is pretty great. I typically run in high stack shoes, but wanted something lower for trail. The foam is on the firmer side compared to something like Adidas EVO SL or a Superblast, but it is quite responsive for the given midsole foam height.

I wanted to post this because I didn't see to many reviews of this shoe here. Bought the Mount to Coast T1 after getting to try them in a demo run with the mount to coast team. During the demo, I immediately fell in love with the extreme lightness and invisible feeling of the shoe. They kind of just float around your feet. After buying them, I ran a handful of casual trail runs and continued to enjoy them the same. They are a joy to slip on and leave you with a cloudlike ride. The foam is so soft underfoot that the lugs seem to melt/absorb away too even on the roads. The lace system is great once you figure it out, and I actually end up tightening it more than typical laces, which adds to the really comfortable and effortless feel. Fast forward to the 25K trail race, and I found what I'd call the only downside to these shoes. The foam is so soft and exposed in some places that if there are any kind of sharp or angular rocks in the path, you are going to feel them for sure. During the race, I felt distinct times that a pointed rock or root came through the foam and I winced. Afterwards, taking out my insoles to dry, I can now see tons of tiny pin hole like jabs actually in the bottom of the insole foam! This course in particular was at least 50% jagged rock and single track, but where there were smooth runnable sections, the shoe really shined. Back to the positives, there were a couple river crossings, and these shoes felt so nice when submerged. Emerging from the river, the water shed out super fast and never felt heavy or bogged down. Paired with merino wool socks, my feet had no issues with wetness over the course. I did feel like the shoes got looser after the crossings, but the dual lacing system let me quickly synch up the top laces again and keep going. Overall, this being my first trail race of any length, I learned a lot about how the terrain can really dictate shoe choice (Duh). My other shoes are Asics Trabuco Max 3 which I worried would be too high or unstable for this more technical course, but looking back I think the stack would have protected these feet a bit more!

2nd on peregrines, after tearing apart a pair of hoka speedgoat 6 in 5 days I ordered the sauconys. I love them, they handle extremely well despite the lack of vibram sole. I live in Pennsylvania and needed a shoe that had a good amount of durability due to the rocks/roots. If you are willing to shell out some more money I also found that the Mount to Coast T1 is sick! The T1’s almost make it feel like I’m running barefoot they’re so light!

I have Norda 001. They are alright, I enjoy them but as a women I don’t find they synch down in the mid foot as much as I would like. I also find issues with blisters on my toes despite toe socks, lube, etc. I think the hype is overrated but for some they are great. Definitely burly and I still run in them as part of my shoe rotation. Especially winter. Because if these isssues I got a pair of prodigio pros and like them. Wish I went up a half size or so since I do get some blister issues at longer distances. Synch down much better in the mid foot and feel rock solid on technical terrain. I had my first run in the MtC T1s this week. Lace system will require some dialing in but overall I like them so far. I have their road shoes and do all my tread miles in them an love them.

I've only put 8mi on them so far but the Mount to Coast T1s seem amazing. Very roomy toebox, I think the midsole cushion is perfect, easy to run in with a moderate amount of rocker. The build quality is really good and their midsoles are supposed to last a really long time (fingers crossed - theme below). Prodigio Pros are awesome, most fun I've ever had in a pair of running shoes. The only problem was that the midsole was toast by 100mi - maybe because I'm a heavier runner (200lbs). I get a pro deal on them and I would absolutely consider buying a pair just to use for a race. The final issue with these are that they've been out of stock for almost all common sizes for a while. VJ Ultra 3s are also very good. Very similar to the Prodigios in rocker, cushion, grip. The uppers are a little odd, and I had some rubbing on my ankle bone. Same problem with the Prodigio Pros though, midsole dead around 100mi.

https://preview.redd.it/tqxfaswtyw8f1.jpeg?width=585&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d2239ccdef45de30015c1f7f47a8ec516b2ab60 Nearly half of my weekly 80\~90 miles are on the trails so I have the corresponding trail shoes collection in the garage. With summer having arrived, I've got the light colored shoes out right now. I have black or darker versions for some of these for the rainy winter season. The most recent additions this year are the Mount to Coast T1, La Sportiva Progidio Pro, Norda 005, VJ Ultra 3, Puma DNE Trail, and The North Face Enduris 4, which are all fantastic in their own ways. Old faves are the Salomon S/Lab Genesis, Hoka Tecton X 3, Terrex Speed Ultra and Speed, TNF Vectiv Pro 2, and Norda 001. I also got the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL that I got specifically for road-to-trail and mainly running on gravel paths, which is working out very nicely. There are two more shoes that I'll probably add later in the year - the TNF Vectiv Sky 2 and Nnormal Kjerag 2. Kinda curious about the Prodigio Max based on my extremely positive experience with the Prodigio Pro. Overall, I'm very happy with what each shoe offers and how they complement each other. They all beckon me to go out and run long and hard every day.

I'm a big fan of Mount to Coast. In fact, I just got back from a 13-mile trail run with 2,500ft of elevation gain in the T1. I've got over 50 miles on the two pairs over the past two weeks and they've become one of my 2\~3 new favorites. They are so comfortable over the long runs. Even after 15 miles, my feet and legs feel fresh and I feel like I could keep going on and on. I guess the foam tech isn't up to par with the full-PEBA on the Tecton X 3, the full LSP on the Speed Ultra, the "super" TPU on the 005, or the Dream foam on the TNF Vectiv Pro 2/3, but MTC's LightCell is really nice - very balanced with just the right amount of bounce, very good responsiveness, and excellent stability without having a plate. It's tuned very well for the trails and feels quite different from their LightCell foam on their road shoes R1, S1, and P1. I'd say midsole foam "tuning" for trail running is quite different from that for the road. All-out speed isn't as important. I think the right balance between bounce/propulsion (speed), stability, comfort, responsiveness, resilience, durability, and consistency over long distances is what really matters for the trails, and I feel the MTC T1 has that balance that makes it a joy to run in. The T1 isn't as exciting or as fast as the aforementioned plated race shoes or the 005, but it isn't far behind, and over ultra distances, it'll be up to the runner, not the shoes. Of course, that can be said for road super shoes as well, but Courtney Dauwalter is still winning ultra races in the "outdated" S/Lab Genesis (still a great shoe by the way!). Trail running is such a different game from road running. At the very least, the T1 is a great lightweight workhorse trainer (8.5oz in my US men's size 8), but I'm sure it'd handle ultra races very well. MTC started out specializing in ultra distance running for the road, which is a niche field, but that tech adapts very nicely for trail running. In fact, I get the feeling that trail running is where their focus will be in the future. I really like their road shoes but I absolutely *love* the T1. Saw the review of it by Humble Running (my favorite trail shoes/gear channel) and I knew it'd work for me and it has exceeded my expectations. For me, it's neck-to-neck between the Prodigio Pro and T1 for 2025 Trail Shoe of the Year.

Oh yeah, the Aero Glide 3 (both road and GRVL) is the surprise shoe of the year for me. It wasn't on my radar at all and I was skeptical about another road shoe from Salomon but, after seeing all the positive reviews from ShoeTubers I trust, it seemed they would fit in very well and they have. Again, very balanced - not too squishy soft and not firm with good bounce and a solid and stable feel on the landings. Did a 10-mile road run in the AG3 yesterday at various paces and I enjoyed every step of it.

I sized down due to length but now find them too narrow in the toebox unfortunately. Still good for short daily runs, but wouldn't take them on a long run. I also agree, not very protective, but they are very comfortable and, as you say, disappear on your feet.

have the T1 and the Prodigio pro. overall the prodigio is the better shoe (for me), i would not wear the t1 for more than 30-50 miles unless its basically buffed single track, but on buffed single track the prodigio has more flow (for me) than the t1. the t1 is an amazing first debut for MTC. the tuned fit lacing is a gimmick which is why they also put in the box normal laces and when you swap them out the lockdown is decent. i enjoy running in both but the prodigio is much more versatile and appropriate for a hundred miler (if that’s your thing). more protection, better wet traction, slightly more energy return but more aggressive rocker. durability wise they feel similar to me, the upper has more high tech materials in the t1 but i have similar mileage on both and they are both wearing similarly. edit also i bought and returned the norda 5. absolutely no stability for highly technical terrain. the upper is like a really bad version of the kjerag. the kjerag is decent on technical terrain but its grip is not aggressive (haven’t tried the brut version). the norda is one shoe i really could just not descent steep technical terrain at all.