Mount to Coast - T1

I also have AP5 and can confirm this. This is literally my only complaint for this shoe. I wish the foam was a little more responsive and comfortable. Other than that it checks every single other box. I did pick up the new Mount 2 Coast T1 and it is now my new favorite (if you remove the trash lacing system and replace with traditional lacing). They do not have a rock plate but I run in an extremely cheese grater rock style area and haven't had an issue with any rocks impacting my feet. The foam is next level. So bouncy and comfortable. Grip is also very good and the upper is comfortable. I can tell they will work great for sessions with a lot of time on feet.

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 think Topo is the most common direct replacement. Still a wide toe box and you have more options as far as drop is concerned. I would also suggest Mount to Coast. I have used the R1 as a gravel shoe. I enjoy the T1, but not as much as the R1. I hear great things about the H1, which is kinda the best of both worlds, but I haven’t gotten to try them yet.

Was gonna say I did a demo of the T1’s last week and they were super roomy (and comfy)!

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 have >60 miles in them and the more I use them, the more I like them. I was wearing Hoka, Topo, and Saucony before. I like the toebox width, it fits my feet whereas Hoka is a smidge narrow. Also like how it's well cushioned, lightweight, and the midsole foam is just about right for me. Not unstable for me at all. Kind of reminds me of a better fitting Speedgoat Evo. I wanted a high stack-ish cushion shoe that was still light weight, fit my feet, and had good traction. No other shoe that I tried across Speedgoat 6, Timp, Topo, Saucony, etc. checked all my boxes as well as the T1. MTC did fantastic work bringing this to market. Haven't had issues with the speed laces loosening yet but I have normal shoe laces ready to go if they do.

I have ~80 miles in my T1, had many pairs of Lone Peaks 2.5-5. The T1 is one of my favorite shoes ever across Saucony XU2, Endorphin Edge, Endorphin Speed, Hoka Speedgoats, Topo Ultraventure 1 and 3s MTN Racers, Pursuit, and Timps that I've worn over the past 6 years. It just fits my feet, great traction, good cushioning, still light and can pick up the pace. The above shoes always presented some tradeoffs for me between fit (Speedgoats too narrow), traction (Saucony outsole not as sticky, also lost chunks, Timps just had too little outsole), and weight/energy/performance (seemed to struggle picking up the pace in Topos). T1 has it all for me so far, though durability remains to be seen at just 80 miles. Not sure on how the T1 fits vs Altra mens wide, you might order the mens T1. Mount to coast shoes are wider than most shoes but I would say closer to Topo than Altra. You could probably break out the tape measure, get some hard measures and photos with it with your current shoes and send to Mount to Coast to see if they fit.

Really enjoying my Mount to Coast T1s. Acceptably light, good cushion, great traction, generous fit for my feet. Have <100 miles so can't say much on durability. Only potential issue are the speed lace system. Some users reported that loosened on them, but hasn't happened for me. You can remove them and swap with regular laces. Also kind of lacks high eyelets around the ankle for heel lock lacing that other shoes have, but not a biggie for me. Previously ran in Speedgoats, Altra, Saucony, and Topo, if the T1s hold up then I will likely get another pair of them.

The toe box is wide and fits me well. It isn't Altra wide and not as rounded at the front end as Topo's UV3-4. If Altra is still a tight fit then I'm not sure the T1 will work.

I've had the Achilles/ankle chafing issue you mentioned with the Olympus with many shoes. I preapply some leukotape and bring some extra around my chapstick if needed. Use benzoin if needed, I used to do a full ankle leukotape wrap since the front, sides, and Achilles would chafe for me and it stick on for many days. Not the ideal one and done solution but works for me. Topo Pursuit worked well for me. Too early to tell on durability, but I'm really liking my Mount to Coast T1s since they have a good fit for me, pretty light for a medium to high cushion shoe (I would call it high cushion but (a) you used the olympus and (b) it hikes and runs faster like a medium shoe for me), protective underfoot, and Vibram Megagrip outsole.

I have >200 miles in my Nnormal Tomir 2s, spanning short steep runs to 20 mile runs with >5,000 feet of climbing at altitude. Previously ran in Saucony Xodus Ultra, Endorphin Edge, and Endorphin (g)rift. Traction and durability on the Tomir 2 are great. They are on the firm side, even with the mileage I put on them so far, and lean on fast feeling given my previous shoes. I would want more underfoot cushioning for anything beyond a marathon or 50K. To me, these are medium generalist leaning shoes, great for racking up miles and training. Fit was a touch too narrow at first, I have wide feet. Took around 50 miles for the insole to pack down and the upper to stretch and flex a bit. Fits comfortably snug now. For the long stuff I am using the Mount to Coast T1. Comfortable fit for my toes, good underfoot cushioning, yet light and fast enough that I don't feel like I'm working too hard when running uphill or picking up the pace. I have ~80 miles on them so far, really just a few long runs, they're great. Durability looks good but need to take them out to at least 200 to say more. If these still look good after 300 miles I would switch completely to them and not get another pair of the Tomir 2s.

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!

I have the T1. They're fabulous. They have really good grip, are plenty stable, and seem to drain reasonably well after water crossings. The midsole is quite good and the toe box is roomy. I really didn't care for the dual elastic lace setup, but that was easily solved by swapping them for normal laces. Overall I'm quite happy with them. They're definitely in my top 3 favorite trail shoes in recent years.

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.

the h1 is a lighter, more versatile with moderate cushioning and protection that feels softer and more connected on smoother surfaces. the t1 is a stiffer, more rugged trail shoe with reinforced uppers, deeper vibram lugs, and more structured cushioning that sacrifices plushness for durability and protection on technical terrain. it also has drain plugs. i tend to wear the h1s more for versatility but the t1s definitely shred.

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.

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 have >200 miles in my Nnormal Tomir 2s, spanning short steep runs to 20 mile runs with >5,000 feet of climbing at altitude. Previously ran in Saucony Xodus Ultra, Endorphin Edge, and Endorphin (g)rift. Traction and durability on the Tomir 2 are great. They are on the firm side, even with the mileage I put on them so far, and lean on fast feeling given my previous shoes. I would want more underfoot cushioning for anything beyond a marathon or 50K. To me, these are medium generalist leaning shoes, great for racking up miles and training. Fit was a touch too narrow at first, I have wide feet. Took around 50 miles for the insole to pack down and the upper to stretch and flex a bit. Fits comfortably snug now. For the long stuff I am using the Mount to Coast T1. Comfortable fit for my toes, good underfoot cushioning, yet light and fast enough that I don't feel like I'm working too hard when running uphill or picking up the pace. I have ~80 miles on them so far, really just a few long runs, they're great. Durability looks good but need to take them out to at least 200 to say more. If these still look good after 300 miles I would switch completely to them and not get another pair of the Tomir 2s.

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.

I agree with your assessment on the T1 being superior to Hokas. I’ve run in both and the T1 is overall better, and yes the grip is very good.

Really enjoying my Mount to Coast T1s. Acceptably light, good cushion, great traction, generous fit for my feet. Have <100 miles so can't say much on durability. Only potential issue are the speed lace system. Some users reported that loosened on them, but hasn't happened for me. You can remove them and swap with regular laces. Also kind of lacks high eyelets around the ankle for heel lock lacing that other shoes have, but not a biggie for me. Previously ran in Speedgoats, Altra, Saucony, and Topo, if the T1s hold up then I will likely get another pair of them.

Nike Zegama 2 and Mount to Coast T1. Both are spectacular all-rounders. The T1 has a slight edge over the Zegama when it comes to traction, but I slightly prefer the Zegama overall.

Yes, that upper lacing loosening seems to be a common quirk, I experienced that as well. They really shine on steep, technical trails—I’ve noticed the same. Having a backup pair definitely gives peace of mind! How do you feel they compare to other shoes you’ve run in on similar terrain?

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.

Was gonna say I did a demo of the T1’s last week and they were super roomy (and comfy)!

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.

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.

They’re a little bit more narrow than some of my other trail running shoes like the Olympus 275 by Altra, even though the tow box is wider it’s not as wide as the 275. My feet are probably more typical width so I haven’t seen an issue, but I can definitely see how that can be for others.

Quite a lot. I've been running for many years now and am very much a shoe nerd. The other trail shoes in my current rotation are the Mount to Coast T1 (also excellent and highly recommended) and the Merrell Agility Peak 5. I just picked up the Craft Xplor 2, but haven't gotten to take them out yet. I wore Altra for years and have had numerous pairs from Hoka, Topo, Craft, Nike, Saucony, Adidas, and so on.

I've had the Achilles/ankle chafing issue you mentioned with the Olympus with many shoes. I preapply some leukotape and bring some extra around my chapstick if needed. Use benzoin if needed, I used to do a full ankle leukotape wrap since the front, sides, and Achilles would chafe for me and it stick on for many days. Not the ideal one and done solution but works for me. Topo Pursuit worked well for me. Too early to tell on durability, but I'm really liking my Mount to Coast T1s since they have a good fit for me, pretty light for a medium to high cushion shoe (I would call it high cushion but (a) you used the olympus and (b) it hikes and runs faster like a medium shoe for me), protective underfoot, and Vibram Megagrip outsole.

Has anyone here tried the Mount to Coast T1 yet? I’ve put in some miles in them and I’m still figuring out how they compare to the bigger brands. So far they feel solid for longer runs, but I’m curious how others are finding things like toe box, cushion over longer distances, overall durability. I don’t see a ton of chatter about Mount to Coast, so I’d love to hear from anyone else who’s tested them out—good or bad. I made a review video breaking down the pros, cons, and who this shoe is really best suited for. If you’re interested, you can check it out here: [https://youtu.be/gAisE5bpkuo](https://youtu.be/gAisE5bpkuo)

I absolutely love the T1, seriously great shoes, but I didn't get along too well with the dual quick-lace setup. I ended up cutting the quick-laces out of mine and putting in regular laces.

I'm loving mine. I didn't get along with the elastic laces, but I swapped for some standard laces and they've been excellent. I dig the roomy toe box, the traction is top notch, they're relatively stable, and the outsole isn't wearing any faster than any of my other Vibram Megagrip shoes. If I really had to reach to find something to complain about, I have had other shoes that drained better after getting them wet, but they're certainly not bad in that department.

the T1s have better grip but i still prefer my H1s overall. the grip still holds up pretty well for technical bits.

Yeah, the first drop went quick, I you do end up grabbing a pair later on, I think you’ll like them. They’ve held up really well for me and feel solid over longer miles. Definitely worth keeping on your radar when you’re ready to replace your current shoes.

They are my current favorite! They aren’t incredibly wide but they do have a generous toebox and I like these quick laces better than Salomon’s.

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 have >60 miles in them and the more I use them, the more I like them. I was wearing Hoka, Topo, and Saucony before. I like the toebox width, it fits my feet whereas Hoka is a smidge narrow. Also like how it's well cushioned, lightweight, and the midsole foam is just about right for me. Not unstable for me at all. Kind of reminds me of a better fitting Speedgoat Evo. I wanted a high stack-ish cushion shoe that was still light weight, fit my feet, and had good traction. No other shoe that I tried across Speedgoat 6, Timp, Topo, Saucony, etc. checked all my boxes as well as the T1. MTC did fantastic work bringing this to market. Haven't had issues with the speed laces loosening yet but I have normal shoe laces ready to go if they do.

My foot width is normal so I haven’t seen an issue with the midfoot width. These aren’t as wide as the Altra Olympus 275.

It's not that they come undone easily (quite the opposite, in fact), but rather that making subtle adjustments isn't quite as simple as implied. At least not for me. Also, with them being more elastic than standard laces, I didn't feel like I ever got the lockdown that I wanted. Obviously YMMV, but they just weren't for me. I used to use Lock Laces in a lot of my trail shoes. They worked about half the time. The other half the time, I found I had the same issues as with the T1.

The toe box is wide and fits me well. It isn't Altra wide and not as rounded at the front end as Topo's UV3-4. If Altra is still a tight fit then I'm not sure the T1 will work.

Hi there, T1 are my current go to trail shoes alongside with Norda 001. T1 are lighter and more breathable, 001 are built like a tank !

From my experience testing multiple Topo trainers over the last 2 years and comparing them to Altras, they feel just as wide and i've heard the exact same said by every person who went from Altra to Topo and had no issues. The Mount to Coast T1 also has an adjustable toe box unlike the Altra or Topo. Full stop.

I have ~80 miles in my T1, had many pairs of Lone Peaks 2.5-5. The T1 is one of my favorite shoes ever across Saucony XU2, Endorphin Edge, Endorphin Speed, Hoka Speedgoats, Topo Ultraventure 1 and 3s MTN Racers, Pursuit, and Timps that I've worn over the past 6 years. It just fits my feet, great traction, good cushioning, still light and can pick up the pace. The above shoes always presented some tradeoffs for me between fit (Speedgoats too narrow), traction (Saucony outsole not as sticky, also lost chunks, Timps just had too little outsole), and weight/energy/performance (seemed to struggle picking up the pace in Topos). T1 has it all for me so far, though durability remains to be seen at just 80 miles. Not sure on how the T1 fits vs Altra mens wide, you might order the mens T1. Mount to coast shoes are wider than most shoes but I would say closer to Topo than Altra. You could probably break out the tape measure, get some hard measures and photos with it with your current shoes and send to Mount to Coast to see if they fit.

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?

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’ve put 300 miles on my H1s. i find the T1 toe box to be a bit narrower. i absolutely love the H1s - its the only shoe i wear now. i have a wide forefoot and narrow heel and the toe box is perfect. much better than my topo mountain racer 3s imo.

I think Topo is the most common direct replacement. Still a wide toe box and you have more options as far as drop is concerned. I would also suggest Mount to Coast. I have used the R1 as a gravel shoe. I enjoy the T1, but not as much as the R1. I hear great things about the H1, which is kinda the best of both worlds, but I haven’t gotten to try them yet.

I love the T1! Light, bouncy, grippy, a joy to wear. Mine get bogged with sweat in this summer heat. That said, I have not reached for another pair of shoes since I purchased them, and I typically rotate between 2 or 3 pairs of good weather shoes and 2 pairs of bad weather shoes.

Mount to Coast T1 and Topo are now the go-tos for wider toe boxes and 0-4mm drop and apparently have much much better durability. We're now averaging over 2 posts a month about Altra durability issues, time to move on folks.

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.

It took me awhile to figure the shoes out, but once I got the proper insole and switch the laces, they have become my go to long distance shoe. I’ve used the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro’s for my short distance mountain races and the MTC T1 for my long distance runs and races. I just finished RRR 50 in them, and they handle every element I ran into great, my feet were me tired or sore, zero black blue toe nails. I also PR’d by an 1h30min, 6th overall female and 1st in the Masters. Previous shoe was the Hoka Tecton.

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).