Mount to Coast H1 Review
The Mount to Coast H1 is a versatile road-to-trail running shoe. Softly cushioned and smooth on the tarmac, yet flexible enough to cope with some uneven ground on the trail, it offers an equally comfortable and smooth ride on hard-packed trails.
A structured heel cup holds the runner’s heel firmly inside the upper. The foot sits slightly inside the midsole, as is the case with most modern running shoes that have a curved or rocker-shaped midsole. The inside of the heel cup has a nice level of soft padding, which runs around the cuff of the shoes. Despite the incredibly light weight of 242 grams for a men’s UK 8, Mount to Coast haven’t skimped on the comfort of the upper to create such a light, well-cushioned running shoe.
The tongue is also nicely padded and made from a soft material that hugs the top of your foot when the shoes are laced up. The tongue is attached to the base of the shoe with two sections of mesh fabric, one on the medial side and one on the lateral side. This makes the upper feel snugger when the laces are tied and, together with the tab on the outside of the tongue which the laces thread through, helps to prevent the tongue from moving when you are running.
There is an extra hole at the top of the laces which can be used to make the heel fit snugger or to butterfly lace the shoes. The laces themselves are split into two sections, as they are on all Mount to Coast running shoes. This means that the bottom part of the laces can be adjusted mid-run without having to untie the shoes. This is designed for ultra runners whose feet might expand as the race progresses and who might want to give their feet a bit more volume. It works equally well if you want to make the toe box particularly snug for running on rougher ground or descending steep hills where you feel your feet might move around inside the shoes.
The toe box itself is more pointed than in other Mount to Coast running shoes. If you’re used to pointed toe boxes, then you won’t notice much difference. If you prefer a straight big toe line or a more rounded toe box, then the H1 toe box will feel a little restrictive. The width and volume of the upper are in line with most running shoe brands’ standard D width. They are not as roomy as the Mount to Coast C1.
The upper is made from a soft and pliable woven material, so it takes on the shape of the runner’s foot. It is reinforced with aramid fibres to make it more durable and abrasion resistant. The toe bumper is made from a reinforced overlay. This gives the toes enough protection for a road-to-hard-packed-trail running shoe.
The midsole is made from Mount to Coast’s Circle Foam. This is a supercritical foam made with some recycled content and biomass. The foam is sealed so that the air can’t escape, which gives it a good level of energy return or bounce. The sealing of the foam also means that water and grit can’t get into the midsole, so it lasts longer, both in terms of overall mileage and in offering the same cushioned, bouncy feel at the end of your run as it did at the start.
The stack height is 35mm in the heel and 29mm in the forefoot. The midsole is curved to create a rocker motion. This helps to keep the foot moving when it touches the floor and helps the runner maintain a more upright posture, which makes them lighter on their feet and helps keep the cadence quick. The result is a smooth feel to the ride.
The foam feels soft on impact but not unstable or mushy. You can feel the bounce, but it isn’t excessive, so it doesn’t feel like it is affecting your gait. On the road I found that I could easily cruise along. You can’t feel the 2mm-long lugs on the outsole and they don’t affect the smoothness of the ride.
On hard-packed trails the ride is similarly smooth. The midsole compresses to absorb small stones or slight unevenness in the terrain, so you can just keep running. This is useful because the thick, soft midsole takes away much of the feel for the terrain, so you struggle to be nimble enough to skip over obstacles as you would in a lower-profile, more responsive trail running shoe. Which is fine, as the H1 does what it is designed to do very well.
Where it might struggle is if your road-to-trail or mixed route contains more broken ground or softer, muddier sections. The 2mm lugs will give little traction on softer surfaces, and the lack of ground feel will make it difficult to skip around these sections.
The 6mm heel-to-forefoot drop reduces heel strike and promotes more of a midfoot landing. This makes the runner more stable on the trails and makes the H1 a suitable shoe for either a heel striker or a midfoot striker.
The outsole of the H1 uses Mount to Coast’s VersaGrip. This is designed to offer good traction on road, hard-packed trails and loose gravel in wet and dry conditions. I have used the H1 on a variety of terrains and had no issues with the traction. I found the ride to be smooth and comfortable on tarmac, the Derwent Walk (a disused railway line), and lots of other interconnecting paths with a variety of hard-packed or gravelly surfaces.
Mount to Coast running shoes are similar in length to Brooks, Saucony, 361, Altra or Topo. If you use Hoka, New Balance, Karhu, La Sportiva or Inov-8, then we would suggest trying half a UK size smaller to get a similar length. For example, a UK 11 in the Mount to Coast H1 would be a similar length to a UK 11.5 in a Hoka running shoe.
The shape and fit of Mount to Coast running shoes does vary a bit from model to model depending on the use the shoe is designed for. The H1 has a neater fit with less volume than the C1 (https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/mount-to-coast-c1-review/), more in line with the R1 (https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/mount-to-coast-r1-review/).
I have done over 100 miles in the H1. I found them an easy shoe to run in. The rocker is noticeable and does carry your foot through the gait cycle, which feels a bit like you’re cheating. However, at 5.30am when my legs haven’t quite woken up, the smooth, soft ride is very welcome. On long runs it is also easy to forget about the shoes on your feet and dream your way along.
As the summer has been so dry, I have used the H1 on sections of trail that they aren’t really designed for, including lots of roots and open farmers’ fields with clumps of grass. The midsole has a bit of flexibility as well as being soft enough to absorb some of the lumps and bumps. This meant the H1 coped well and I enjoyed these runs. As the weather gets wetter, I’ll stop using the H1 for these runs, as the short lugs and lack of feel will become an issue.
In summary, the Mount to Coast H1 is a softly cushioned road-to-trail running shoe that offers a smooth ride on both tarmac and hard-packed trails.
Alternatives to Mount to Coast H1
Altra Experience Wild 3+: A broader more rounded toe box gives the feet more room to spread and function. The 4mm lugs offer a bit more traction making the Experience Wild 3+ suitable for a bit softer or more broken terrain. There is also a bit more ground feel despite the soft feeling midsole. The rocker is more subtle and doesn’t control the ride as much as the rocker on the H1 so the ride isn’t as smooth. In effect you must run in an Altra running shoe rather than ride the curve which you can do in the H1. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-experience-wild-3-review/
361 Futura 3: A similar ride with a similarly soft midsole. Doesn’t feel as light and smooth on the road. Lugs are 4mm in length and offer better than expected traction on soft ground. No feel for the ground. Available in two width Men’s and Women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-futura-3-review/
Scott Kinabalu Trail: A more subtle feel to the rocker but, still noticeable. More underfoot feel. 4mm lugs offer more versatile traction, and a more flexible midsole makes the Kinabalu Trail suitable for some softer more broken terrain. Not as smooth on hard packed terrain. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-kinabalu-trail-review/
Brooks Ghost Trail: A similar fit but a more solid and responsive feel to the ride. No rocker makes you feel more like you are running rather than riding the shoe. Traction is slightly better on softer ground.
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-ghost-trail-review/
Inov-8 TrailFly Max: A broad rounded toe box gives the feet more room to spread and function inside the shoes. The midsole is firmer. It still feels cushioned but gives a bit more of a responsive feel to the ride. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-trailfly-max-review/
Topo Ultraventure 4: A broad rounded toe box fives the feet more room to spread and function. The lugs are rounded which makes them a bit smoother on hard packed terrain. The midsole is firmer than the H1 giving a more responsive feel to the ride. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-ultraventure-4-review/
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