Article by Matt Kolat
Mount to Coast P1 ($160)
Introduction
Mount to Coast is a relatively new brand in the very congested running marketplace. What immediately catches the eye in their products is the attention to styling - these shoes look cool, let’s be honest.
When I first saw them I had a gentle debate with myself if I might not be too old for those bad boys but then my vanity took over and all guilt had evaporated.
The brand itself is focused on ultra running but I feel that this shoe would function well for road runners like me (and maybe you dear reader). What is more the shoe itself is a very unique take on stability as it focuses on also stabilizing the forefoot rather just the rear of the shoe. Is that the case or maybe the P1 has more to offer - let’s find out in the review.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Extremely stylish
Very stable - and not just in the forefoot
Unique feeling midsole
Cons:
Might not be ideal if you have wider midfoot
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 9.9oz / 280g US9/ UK8
Sample Weight: 12 US 11 UK men’s 11.49oz / 326g
Stack Height: men’s 37mm heel / 27mm forefoot (10mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 97mm heel / 78mm midfoot / 122mm forefoot
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
As I mentioned in the introduction the shoes look really cool, with a very minimalistic design but only in terms of looks and not in terms of function. The upper is made of multiple materials. The midfoot and the front is made of soft engineered mesh whereas the rear is made from a more sturdy and abrasion resistant fabric.
The heel counter is semi rigid but extends a little forward (smooth white fabric on the image above) and provides excellent hold. There are multiple mini overlays on both medial and lateral sides.
The toe bumper has strong reinforcement but it is blended into the engineered mesh in a way that makes it disappear as far as your toes are concerned.
The shoe laces are flat and long enough to utilise the ‘runner’s knot’. The upper in general is very breathable (see picture below). I almost wish I could test this model in the summertime.
The tongue is fully gusseted and stays in place on the run, it is also quite plush which lends itself very well to longer training runs.
In terms of the fit, my usual 11UK fits me TTS but the midfoot narrows a little bit too much for me which caused a hot spot on my right foot because the midsole was rubbing against my foot. But that’s an issue more related to my feet being a little wider than average than the shoe itself.
What is more when I first put the shoe on I distinctly felt pressure against my arches which made me think that the P1s have some kind of hidden arch support similar to a traditional plastic shank. This however turned out to be just the shape of the insole and thankfully as soon as I started running I could not feel it any more, this ride was in fact very pleasant - please refer to the Ride section for details - I don’t want to give up too much just yet.
Midsole & Platform
I will start with the platform as the midsole is a very complex beast. Despite what I’ve written in the previous section about developing a hot spot, the platform actually feels quite broad. I realise that this is not the broadest shoe in the world like for instance most of the Hokas but it feels very secure and broad while pounding your foot on the pavement.
The P1s have a little structure inside of the rear of the shoe called the 3D Arch Rail. Which is something between a stabilizing unit and a plate (does it feel like a plate? Please refer to the Ride section).
On top of that (literally and metaphorically) we get a Dual Zone Midsole - which is most likely the ‘thing’ I thought was pushing against my arch when I first put the shoes on and had disappeared on the run.
The midsole itself is called Lightcell and is a PEBA Hybrid. I don’t really have much more details on the midsole but the word Hybrid would suggest that we are dealing with a blend of PEBA and EVA..
This blend works great and I will speak about this in more detail in the Ride section.
Outsole
When I first saw the outsole I was a little worried that the grip might not be ideal as the grooves are not too deep but what the outsole lacks in depth it makes up for in stickiness. I had the pleasure of doing most of my running in P1s when winter snows were melting and let’s just say the crisp white upper did not stay white for long - it was as slippery as it gets out there. Despite that however the grip was excellent and there is nothing to complain about. The Go-flow grey part of the outsole indicates where the stabilisers are but apart from the colour I don’t think it is any different to the black rubber areas.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Okay I want to make one thing clear - I love these shoes. You know how many often say that “overpronation” does not exist and there is no need on the market for shoes with stability elements. And what in effect you get is shoes that are meant to be stable, meant to be for overpronators but clearly aren't? Well P1s are one of those rare shoes which doesn’t have a traditional posting but all the other elements described in the sections above actually provide a fully stable ride, and not just for forefoot strikers.
What I also really enjoyed was the way the midsole behaved on the run. Typically in shoe mechanics, at least ith daily trainers, there are two narratives that dominate the running market (there are of course other minor ones).
One is the focus on rolling - often referred to as a rocker which Hokas has mastered and the second being energy return which most brands strive to achieve and is sometimes referred to as the bounce.
In the case of the P1s I feel like the ride represents neither of those but something else entirely. The thing that kept coming to my mind, especially on long runs which is where I’ve enjoyed P1s the most, was ‘playdough’ (not marshmallowy-ness). Essentially the midsole feels really dense but without feeling firm and you do get energy return but it’s not very aggressive and quick but slow and controlled in the return of energy back to the foot. Kind of like a hand exercise / grip strength tool - but not the kind with a spring in the middle but the kind shaped like a ball.
It is a relatively unique feeling and the only shoe that I could remember that reminded me of one of my most beloved shoes of 2024 - the Inov8 RoadFly. All the inserts and technologies described in the midsole section do contribute to the shoe feeling extra stable no matter if heel or forefoot striking, but there is no spring like feeling you would attribute to a platted shoe - and this is not necessarily a bad thing.
With regards to best uses of the P1, I would say that despite being marketed as ultra shoes I would see them best applied in run distances between 10k and HM. Sure you can probably run a full marathon or an ultra in the P1s but that would be more on the runner than on the P1s.
The only thing I would change in the P1s would be the midfoot - if the fit was slightly wider I would fit me perfectly but that said folks with narrower feet will definitely love the fit.
Score: 9.5/10
(minus 0.5 for a narrowish midfoot).
😊😊😊😊😊
Comparisons
Adidas Adistar BYD (RTR Review)
If you are considering the P1s but fancy a little bit more of an adventure the BYD might be a good alternative. Despite being a neutral shoe “officially” I would classify it as fully stable. It has more cushion than the P1, is slightly softer and has a bigger bounce due to the full length plate. All of that comes at the usual price of feeling a bit heavier on foot than the P1s.
Inov8 Roadfly (RTR Review)
Tester Profile
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
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