Mount to Coast R1 Performance Review

The Mount to Coast R1, a new entry in the world of road running shoes, was created primarily as an ultra-marathon race shoe. The Chinese brand generated significant buzz despite being introduced in the shadow of huge upcoming releases from established brands at 2023’s The Running Event, an industry conference for brands to showcase their upcoming lineups and innovation.

The R1’s technology, including its cushioning, outsole, and lacing system seemed promising. I was excited to get them on the roads during marathon training and find out how the R1 performed.

Pros

Cushion: The Mount to Coast R1 features a well-cushioned midsole that provides excellent shock absorption without sacrificing responsiveness. The LightCell foam, a supercritical PEBA-hybrid, when combined with the ZeroSag inserts in the forefoot and heel, is both light and energetic.

ZeroSag was co-developed with BASF and is based on the shock-absorbing material used in rally cars. That means it can deliver enough shock absorption to last 800+ miles and feel consistent the entire time. Whatever exactly the inserts are made of, they fit seamlessly with the LightCell midsole. The feel of the cushion isn’t disjointed and feels smooth underfoot (which is likely partially due to the GOFLOW midsole geometry as well).

And while the midsole stack of 27mm in the forefoot and 35mm in the heel isn’t tall by today’s standards, in practice, it offers more than enough protection and bounce for long runs. And, over the course of my 50+ miles in the shoe I didn’t notice the cushion degrading or losing any impact protection.

The real test is the athletes who run 100s of road miles in these during ultramarathons. There is a groundswell of attention for Mount to Coast in that space so early returns on long term viability of the cushion are very good.

Fit and Comfort: The Mount to Coast R1’s double-layered jacquard upper is breathable and conforms well to the foot. It’s also built on a last that widens nicely at the forefoot, giving ample room for toe splay even as feet expand after a bunch of miles.

One of my favorite aspects of the shoe was the lacing system. I got a lot of questions about it. And despite a small learning curve, it does the job nicely. Mount to Coast calls it the TUNEDFIT Dual Lacing System. Essentially, it divides the lacing system into two parts for the forefoot and midfoot. The forefoot lacing is a bungee system that’s easy to customize without untying the whole shoe. The midfoot lacing is more traditional and locks the foot down nicely into the heel.

The lacing is non traditional, but useful when the goal of a shoe is road ultras.

Outsole: The Mount to Coast R1 features an aggressive tread pattern that delivers reliable grip on all terrain. I got solid traction on both wet and dry surfaces. The “special outsole material” used on the R1 is durable despite not being very deep. It is squeaky though…more on that later.

Support and Stability: The Mount to Coast R1 offers a good balance of support and stability. It feels like it sits close to the ground despite the medium stack height. The midsole extends beyond the foot on all sides of the shoe which provides natural support on all sides. Even taking corners hard or stopping quickly had no effect on how secure I felt in the R1. This is the type of shoe that will still feel great even as running form breaks down towards the end of a long run or race. Again, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a shoe targeted at long distance road races.

Cons

Sound: Oh boy, where to begin. This shoe squeaks something fierce. The outsole rubber is great in terms of traction but if the roads or cement paths are even a little bit wet, you’ll know it. Every step will accompanied with a squeak.

The Mount to Coast R1 checks all the performance boxes around traction and grip, but it will try to annoy you at the same time. You’ll want to wear headphones and turn up whatever podcast or music you listen to when running in the R1.

Breathability: The Mount to Coast R1 can get warm during hot weather runs and didn’t breathe as well as I expected given the jacquard upper. It’s double-layered so my guess is the overlaid construction of the upper restricts the airflow enough to be noticeable during summer running. You won’t notice it much, if at all, in dry climates, but those facing daily runs in humid conditions may want to look elsewhere.

Is the Mount to Coast R1 wide foot friendly?

Yes, the Mount to Coast R1 is wide foot friendly. This is due to primarily to a toebox that widens nicely and a separate lacing system for the forefoot area. The configuration gives wide footers the ability to take advantage of how the shoe is built and lock in a customized fit. It’s not often wide footers get that chance.

Is the Mount to Coast R1 worth $160?

The price point of $160 for the Mount to Coast R1 is solid, but not spectacular. I think it would compete better with what’s currently on the market at $140. For example, I think the New Balance Rebel v4 is its closest competitor in terms of value proposition. The Rebel v4 is priced at $140.

That said, I believe the Mount to Coast R1 will last longer than the Rebel v4 as the midsole is more resilient and less prone to flattening over time. Is that worth $20 extra dollars? Maybe…I could see those that value getting as many miles as possible out of a shoe enjoying the extra durability. Also, if what Mount to Coast claims is true and runners can get 700-800 road miles out of these bad boys…then the $20 extra is easily justifiable.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that price point is currently feasible as the Mount to Coast S1 is priced at $150. The S1 is a solid daily running shoe with a more traditional rubber outsole, a less energetic midsole, but without Mount to Coast’s fun features like the TUNEDFIT Dual Lacing system. So while one could buy the S1 instead, it’s just not the same level of performance running shoe as the R1. If you want one of the two, the R1 is an easy choice.

Mount to Coast R1 Summary

The Mount to Coast R1 running shoe is a solid option for runners seeking a comfortable shoe with a wide toebox that can handle high mileage. I think the on foot feel and fit will sell most people, but the squeaky outsole, breathability, and price are drawbacks.

Overall, the R1 is a great first effort from a new brand. I think Mount to Coast has a solid future ahead of it and will be watching to see what they do next.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While Mount to Coast did send a pair of the R1 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.