Mount to Coast S1 Review: Refreshingly Simple and Solid

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Mount to Coast S1

AUSTIN: I love to see new companies enter the sneaker space. There’s risk, mind you. Competing against juggernauts like Nike and Adidas is a David versus Goliath undertaking at every turn. What’s more, Brooks, Saucony, Asics, Mizuno, Hoka, New Balance, On, and others add further competition in the daunting quest to be noticed by runners. That said, Mount to Coast has designed, manufactured, and marketed a niche shoe for ultramarathoners. Specifically, road ultramarathoners. You know – the oddballs who travel miles and miles along the unforgiving concrete and asphalt when 26.2 miles won’t suffice anymore. Thank heavens there’s a shoe for that.

At this time, Mount to Coast has a simple product selection: the R1 and the S1. If you’d like to learn more about the company’s racing model, the R1, check out Robbe’s stellar review he penned in March. If you’d like to learn more about the S1 and the higher likelihood that it will spur you to sign up for a road ultramarathon, keep reading.

ALEX: It’s always fun to have a new challenger enter the ring, and I was stoked to see this bright white beauty of a shoe on my doorstep from a brand I had yet to experience. Mount to Coast continued to pique my interest as I opened the box and was greeted to a fold-out poster of an absolutely thrashed version of the S1, a pair that suffered the ups and downs of the JOGLE, a road marathon on the southern coast of England. That image got me excited to strap in and get some serious miles in my summer training cycle.

What we like about the Mount to Coast S1

AUSTIN: I don’t anticipate signing up for any road ultras soon. Maybe ever. I’ve finished two 50K races on the trail, and if I were coaxed into a longer distance, I’d probably favor the dirt again. Perhaps that’s why I’m in awe of the folks who can cover absurd distances on the road (check out the Mount to Coast Stories page for some amazing feats of cardiovascular strength).

I’m unsure what the Mount to Coast S1 creators intended the letter S to stand for, but I’m sticking with simplicity. Like the R1, the S1 boasts a simple design, and the elements inside and outside this daily trainer move in harmony mile after mile. First, there are three colorways: white, black, and white and black. I love it. For exercise or casual wear, it’s a straightforward design trifecta. The upper, an engineered jacquard mesh, secures the feet well and provides soft, ample ventilation. Modest tongue and heel padding, flat laces that aren’t too long, and a pull tab (with the company’s letters) add to the solid step-in comfort.

As a company focused on road ultramarathons, I expected the toe box to be spacious; unsurprisingly, the S1 checked that box. LightCELL, the midsole compound providing the cushioning for the S1, is a PEBA hybrid. ZeroSag, a polyurethane midsole insert adapted from high-speed rail padding for durability and element resistance. 

Normally, when I review shoes for Believe in the Run, I alternate pairs day to day. But as my fellow reviewers can affirm, if we love a shoe, there’s no recovery period on the garage shelf. We pull it day after day after day. I logged 66 miles in the S1 for this review.

I went short, I went long. I went slow, I went fast. A week of rain in the Peach State provided many chances to highlight the outsole’s solid traction. Of course, I’m saddened to see the white colorway get dinged with dirt and debris each day. Finally, the S1 upper is 100% recycled yarn, which means less waste. The Mount to Coast folks even threw in a shoe bag, tech card, and poster. Unexpected, but a nice touch.

ALEX: Only two shoes, only two names, I am already vibing on the simplicity. When the majority of new shoe names are more than a mouthful, I can appreciate the time the S1 took me to enter into my gear on Strava. This summer is the first one I have trained for technically an ultra race (a 27 miler on trails), but I enjoyed finding a light, no fuss trainer that I could log some serious miles.

The all-white colorway with a couple pops of reflective makes for an incredibly clean shoe, and had me reaching for this one more and more as it paired well with any running fit combination. I logged a bit over 50 miles in the S1 in solo, group, and long run scenarios. In assessing a good daily trainer, if you aren’t thinking about the shoe in terms of comfort, lock down, ankle slip, etc. at all during a run and can just focus on the task at hand, then the maker has done their job.

In the case of the S1, its ability to not be at the center of your attention is its true gift. Style wise, this is one of the most versatile performance shoes I’ve worn and I do not feel like a total dingus while wearing these about town.

What we don’t like about the Mount to Coast S1

AUSTIN: This isn’t a critique but a question. I’d love to hear from the S1 designers about the addition of the toe cap. If you look at Mount to Coast’s history, they highlight two issues ultrarunners regularly face during training or events: multiple pairs of shoes and sizing up (or cutting the upper around the toes) to help with foot swelling. The S1 midsole addresses the issue of carrying extra shoes.

The toe cap, intended to “keep toes safe in unpredictable terrain,” also provides some discernible lockdown in the forefoot. Therefore, one potential concern I have with the toe cap is that it may irritate the toes of some distance runners (based on their respective foot characteristics) or still need to be cut at some point during long events due to swelling or crowding. I experienced neither since I didn’t run ultramarathon distances for this review, but I wonder if removing the toe cap in version two in favor of mesh will enhance the forefoot space further.

ALEX: To Austin’s point on the toe cap being a potential point of irritation for longer distances, I definitely didn’t run long enough for this to become an issue in my experience so far. However, I think my emphasis on super trainers and max stack in a lot of my rotation makes me feel the road much more acutely in your more moderate daily trainer, so when I was picking up the pace in more medium length runs (6-8 miles) I was feeling more fatigue on my inner soles. I see this as more of a “me” problem, and doing at least one run a week in the S1 has encouraged me to mix it up in terms of cushion and stack, the minimalist angel on one shoulder battling against the maximalist devil on the other.

Final thoughts on the Mount to Coast S1

AUSTIN: The S1 sits atop my list for 2024 shoe of the year. Five months remain before 2025, but I don’t anticipate removing this one from the top spot. Based on how often I wear it, I’ll likely need another pair before Thanksgiving, maybe Halloween. In short, the S1 is scary good; it boasts a simple, clean look with a midsole that strikes the ideal blend of cushioning and responsiveness. If you’re ready to transcend distance, the Mount to Coast S1 is waiting.

ALEX: There’s a lot to love about the S1. I’m already thinking about running in it tomorrow. This has absolutely been my favorite review of the year, and I see a lot of promise from Mount to Coast with their successful execution of simplicity. Love that they cater to a niche market in the road ultramarathoner, and the simple, clean look and reasonable price point would make this a great option for anyone looking to increase their daily mileage, or have a super versatile shoe to tear up at run club.

You can pick up the Mount to Coast S1 for $150 by using the buttons below.