Brooks Ghost 16 ultramarathon road shoes. As a marathoner wary of entering an ultra because the terrain is usually not paved roads, I was intrigued by Mount to Coast’s concept. The brand actually plans on releasing a trail shoe in the future, but its first three models are all for use on pavement. Of those three, the R1 was worn by British ultrarunner Justin Montague when he competed in the little-known MTC Jogle, a 17-day ultramarathon during which Montague broke the previous course record by 40 hours. He ran a total of 854 miles. And he wore only one pair of R1s.
Pros
- Ample room in toebox
- For Runners Who Like
Cons
- Some runners didn’t find much use for the cinch part of the lacing
| Type | Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.5 oz (M), 6.9 oz (W) |
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel Height | 35 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 27 mm |
- We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article: The R1, which stands for “racing,” is for runners looking for a lightweight trainer for speedwork and middle distances, or for efficient runners looking for a lightweight long distance racer without a carbon plate
- For Runners Who Like: Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, Topo Athletic Specter
- Midsole Foam: LightCell, nitrogen-infused PEBA foam
- Key Tech: A Part of Hearst Digital Media
R1: The Road Shoe Meant for Ultras
The R1 has no carbon-fiber plate. The foam, LightCell, is PEBA-based and nitrogen-infused. To combat the foot-swelling that ultrarunners experience when accruing hundreds of miles in the span of a couple of days, the shoe has a dual lacing system that includes a cinch cord similar to “Quick Lace” designs, which can be easily adjusted to provide more space as the foot swells. Mount to Coast’s shoe development team saw runners’ toes poking through torn uppers; TunedFit is supposed to prevent this from happening.
When I put on the shoes, there really wasn’t anything special to them that indicated they’d last for over 850 miles; the R1 is ultralight (a men’s size 9 weighs only 8.5 ounces). Our testers, however, gave the shoe top marks. And as I ran in the R1 through multiple heatwaves, lots of base-building runs, and a couple of long ones with a friend who gushed how much she “loved those shoes,” I could see the allure. It’s a neutral, moderately-cushioned trainer that had me adding in some speedwork on days with 90-plus-degree heat because of the high rebound.
In the words of one of our wear-testers, the R1 is “a solid, versatile trainer for all kinds of efforts.” One runner said Mount to Coast especially nailed the amount of space at the front of the shoe. “I love the toebox! It’s roomy! My bunion feels at peace,” she said, adding that the R1 has become her new go-to daily trainer. “The shoe is light. It’s firm. It’s breathable. I just fell in love.”
Pros
- Comfortable
- High energy return
Cons
- This Adrenaline Fan Loved the Newest Model
- oz M, 6.9 oz W
| Type | Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.4 oz (M), 7.8 oz (W) |
| Drop | 10 mm |
| Heel Height | 36 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 26 mm |
- We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article: The S1, which stands for “soul runner,” is for runners looking for a daily trainer with moderate cushioning and some stability
- For Runners Who Like: Nutrition - Weight Loss, GoGlow midsole geometry, TPU heel counter
- Midsole Foam: Great for recovery and easy runs
- Key Tech: For Runners Who Like
For Training, Try the S1
Where the R1 is made for racing hours on end, the S1 is for training or for the everyday grinder; however, it does have ultramarathon cred. At the same MTC Jogle Montague set a course record at, Chinese ultrarunner Lucong Geng ran 600 miles in a pair of S1s.
The shoe isn’t outfitted with a TunedFit dual-lacing system like the R1, but it does share a nitrogen-infused PEBA midsole and GoGlow geometry. Its moderate cushioning and built-in support provide a solid platform for racking up daily mileage.
Testers initially felt the S1 was “unremarkable.” And honestly, I had those thoughts too during my first run in the shoe. After running in the R1, the S1’s ride felt clunky because it’s heavier. But it wouldn’t be fair to compare a training shoe to its racing counterpart; that would be like pitting the Brooks Hyperion (a speed shoe) up against the Brooks Ghost (a daily trainer).
“Overall, I had no issues with the S1, but the ride felt flat with not a lot of forward propulsion,” said tester Gabe Franc, whose pace averages 7:30. “I also didn’t gravitate to it for longer distances since the impact was fairly firm, especially compared to other shoes like the Asics Novablast, which has been my recent favorite go-to pair of shoes for long runs.
“I think the S1 is a solid first concept for a line going forward in Mount to Coast’s lineup,” Franc continued. “For its weight and stack height, it is fairly responsive. It feels like a heavy shoe, but the firm outsole gives it a responsive feel. I think the durability and stability are also very good for this shoe. The outsole has shown little wear so far, besides just the white rubber turning black from the asphalt. The stability feels very solid too, even though it isn’t labeled as a stability shoe. I felt like there was extra support keeping everything aligned, which is a strong point for a shoe being ultramarathon-designed.”
Like Franc, other testers highlighted the shoe’s overall comfort and rebound, drawing comparisons to other cushioned trainers like the Brooks Glycerin.
All of Mount to Coast’s shoes come with a shoe bag, technology card, and poster. One tester was, to put it mildly, wary of what he found inside his Mount to Coast shoe box. But he changed his tune once he went out for a run.
“Upon returning home with my shoes, I looked at the box and I’d never heard of Mount to Coast shoes. I was a bit skeptical about these shoes,” said tester Don Kuntzman, who’s tested for RW for almost a decade. “Then I opened the box and the first thing I see is a poster and a free shoe bag. And my skepticism was beginning to turn to outright cynicism. Who backs free stuff in the box? So my thinking is, ‘These shoes are going to be bad!’ But after several runs I am amazed how good these shoes are. Though they’re not for sprinting because it’s hard to get up on your toes. They’re great for training runs and I imagine for ultra distances, which they’re designed for. In the end I’ve run in these shoes everyday since getting them and they are simply fantastic.”
Pros
- Plush cushioning
- Great for recovery and easy runs
Cons
- Heavy
| Type | Road |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.8 oz (M), 8 oz (W) |
| Drop | 10 mm |
| Heel Height | 37 mm |
| Forefoot Height | 27 mm |
- We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article: The P1, which stands for “protection,” is for runners looking for a recovery shoe with unobtrusive stability and max cushioning
- For Runners Who Like: New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v14, Brooks Glycerin GTS 21
- Midsole Foam: Great for recovery and easy runs
- Key Tech: 3oz M, 8 oz W
Plush Cushioning in the P1
The P1, which was released at the end of August, rounds out Mount to Coast’s growing collection with a plush stability trainer that’s comparable to Saucony’s Hurricane and Brooks’s Glycerin GTS.
Instead of placing dense foam on the lateral and medial sides of the foot, like the guide rails found in Brooks and Altra, Mount to Coast fused a rail connecting the medial and lateral sides. The flexible structure, called a 3D Archrail, resembles a tapered road you can visibly see on the bottom of the shoe. The idea behind the 3D Archrail is to reduce forefoot abduction (according to Mount to Coast, most stability shoes have tech placed in the rearfoot area to control pronation) and therefore, decrease injury risk.
None of our testers were injured while running in the P1, but that’s pretty standard in the case of testing most of the shoes we give to runners for evaluation. But the common thread among P1 testers was the shoe’s comfort.
“One of the most noticeable aspects of the P1 is the comfort level right out of the box,” said tester Eric Bartosz, who is a heel striker. “The LightCell foam combined with the pliable mesh upper gives the impression that it could be worn all-day long with no complaints. The foam gives optimal cushioning without feeling like a waterbed (sorry Nike Invincible) and at the same time feels fast and ready to eat up miles for days.”
Tester Renee Hislop, who averages 45 miles a week on road, trail, and gravel, took the shoe out for a couple long runs.
“I loved everything about these sneakers,” she said. “The cushioning was like a mattress topper foam. You put your foot in the shoe and the cushioning formed around your foot and you never worried about slipping around or blisters. I distinctly remember being at mile 15 of my run and walking into Wawa for a Gatorade feeling like I was walking on clouds. The comfort of these sneakers was superior. I had my Gatorade and kept on running.”
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Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
