The underfoot squeeze also comes with the premium juice. With the same PEBA-blended midsole compound as the R1, the T1 is going to please a lot of folks. Lightcell is a blended midsole that contains PEBA-based nitrogen infused foam and achieves high marks in a lot of categories. In this case, it felt cushioned but not pillowy. It was certainly energetic but not “bouncy.” It was also stable but not rigid. At a 36/32 stack, this one is fundamentally well-protected too. There’s no real need for a rock plate to be guarded and it managed to have trace amounts of ground feel for connection. This is the type of midsole that gives the best of all worlds.
I think of shoes like the Salomon Genesis, The North Face Enduris 4, Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed, La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, and Nike Ultrafly. The T1 is a little softer than the Altra Mont Blanc Speed, Hoka Mafate Speed 4, Merrell Agility Peak 4, and VJ Ultra 3. It also ends up being a little more structured than shoes like the New Balance Hierro v4, Hoka Tecton X 3, and Norda 005. I know that’s really getting into the weeds, but it’s a good portrait of where the underfoot feel of the T1 sits.
Geometry is another aspect that Mount to Coast has nailed down. In the T1, there’s an obvious rocker but it’s not too aggressive. It’s efficient without forcing speed. That’s where this can easily be called an “ultra” shoe. Many other trail racing options have figured this out too, but to see this geometry in both their road and trail models lets us know how intentional Mount to Coast is about going the distance.
