5 Emerging Running Trends for 2026
Here is a quick look at five key running trends that will emerge in 2026 based on what we saw at The Running Event trade show.
The Mount to Coast H1 is comfortable, energetic, and versatile—and loaded with unique features.
Hong Kong-based Mount to Coast is a relatively new shoe brand that burst on the scene in 2024 with some sophisticated road running shoes made with high-end materials, unique features, and a strong focus on sustainability. This year, it’s been focused on going off-road following those same characteristics.
After unveiling its first trail running shoe earlier this year, the brand is now launching the best of both worlds—the Mount to Coast H1 gravel running shoe. What is a gravel running shoe? It’s a trendy term for the category of shoes that can cross over between mild dirt trails/gravel roads and paved/concrete roads. It’s not necessarily a new category—they’ve been called hybrid shoes, road-to-trail shoes, or crossover trail shoes in the past—but the category has advanced and become more popular in recent years as more road runners have become trail curious. As for Mount to Coast, it is a novel brand with an acute level of intentionality in its shoe design.
Like its previous models, the H1 utilizes a TunedFit dual-lacing system that allows for semi-custom fit from cinch cord adjustments at the forefoot and midfoot of the shoe—a key feature that can be a big help when feet swell during long runs or when slight adjustments are needed mid-run on different types of terrain.
But by far the most interesting element of the H1 is the midsole that’s made from a compound called CircleCELL, which is entirely derived from bio-based material. Developed in collaboration with German chemical company BASF, the CircleCELL foam is a breakthrough in circular design and sustainability—not only because it’s made entirely from renewable feedstock and residual biomass, but also because it feels great underfoot and is highly durable.
I’ve run more than 150 miles in a pair of Mount to Coast H1 shoes since mid-August, and they still feel like they’re brand new. Here’s my rundown of why I consider the H1 one of the shoes of the year.
What’s New: Although this shoe has some similarities to the Mount to Coast T1 trail running shoe, the H1 is a brand new shoe with some very unique components. In addition to the sustainably made CircleCELL midsole foam and dual-position lacing system, it also has a two-part upper that includes a woven jacquard fabric on top to provide comfort and an adaptive fit and a lower part that’s crafted from a high-performance woven fabric and reinforced with Kevlar aramid fibers for durability.
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Mount to Coast H1 fits true to size with a medium-volume interior and plenty of wiggle room in the toe box. There is plenty of room for an after-market footbed if you want to reduce the roominess and create a more secure fit. The step-in sensation is soft, comfortable, and spacious, but the upper part of the lacing system does a good job of snugging up the two-level upper, padded heel collar, and wide, padded and gusseted tongue. From there, you can adjust the lower laces as needed, although I typically did that after running a bit.
While the adjustable lacing is a novel and very useful feature, the ride is where this shoe shines. The midsole serves up a soft, buttery, and responsive vibe—a little bit bouncy but very smooth—from heel to toe on hard surfaces, while it feels sufficiently grippy, stable and energetic on gravel and dirt terrain. The bottom line? It feels almost as good and lively as some of my road running everyday trainers, and it feels as smooth and component as any other shoe in my quiver made for running mild trails and gravel roads.
Price: $160
Approximate Weights: 7.9 oz. (women’s size 8); 8.5 oz. (men’s size 9),
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 35mm (heel); 29mm (forefoot)
Why It’s Great: The Mount to Coast H1 is great because it’s light, energetic, and versatile. Just as there are a handful of everyday trainers built for the roads, this model is a multi-talented, jack-of-all-terrain shoe for just about any kind of running you do during the week. No, they’re not going to replace your favorite road trainers you use for long runs, but they might allow you to create new long run routes that include sections of pavement, gravel roads, and sections of mild to moderate dirt trails. And because they’re lighter, more responsive, and more dynamic than most trail running shoes, they could be a gateway shoe for exploring more trail runs.
Why You’ll Love It: The midsole is stunningly good. The CircleCELL midsole is the first high-performance midsole compound to be made from 100 percent renewable feedstock, including recycled organic waste. Created through a process of advanced supercritical foaming process, it delivers energy return on par with PEBA and has nearly double the lifespan of a typical PEBA midsole. It has felt soft, comfortable, and responsive in each stride—both at the beginning of a run and after more than 2 hours of a long, mult-surface run. It’s been energetic enough to run tempo runs and mile repeats, but smooth and accommodating enough to run longer distances on all types of terrain.
Did You Know? In January 2025, Arizona’s Jamil Coury toed the line for a chance to win a year’s supply of free burritos. The challenge: run as many miles as possible on the city streets and sidewalks outside an Phoenix-area restaurant. What followed was an absurd commitment to athleticism and competition that saw him run more than 730 miles in a month wearing a single pair of the new Mount to Coast H1s.
Plus, Jeff Garmire broke the self-supported record on the Appalachian Trail recently wearing Mount to Coast T1 trail running shoes and H1 gravel running shoes, covering the 2,190 miles in 45 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes.
Why You Might Not Like It: Although versatile to run on hard surfaces and dirt and gravel routes, it’s not great on highly technical terrain. On steeper, rockier, and more rugged terrain, the H1 begins to feel less stable and lacking trail-specific protection. I’ve run up and down the steep VK route in Chamonix, France, and Green Mountain in Boulder, Colorado, wearing the H1 shoes, and they’ve held their own on each route, but it probably won’t be the shoe I choose for long runs on trails with rocky terrain and off-camber footing.
Pro: The bottom of the shoe is subtle and unobtrusive, but it is also very grippy. The outsole is made from a proprietary rubber blend and has 2mm lugs engineered to deliver exceptional traction, grip, and durability across all types of terrain. I really don’t like running on the roads or bike paths wearing a shoe with a knobby trail-specific outsole, but the outsole-midsole combination of the H1 almost feels like a road running outsole on hard surfaces.
Con: The main drawback with any gravel or hybrid shoe, including the H1, is that it runs very well on a variety of kinds of terrain, but doesn’t perform as well as most trail running shoes do on rugged trails or as well as light and fast performance trainers do on the roads. I wore the H1s on a 75-minute run only on paved roads and I was less excited about it, just as I wasn’t as stoked about it on more rugged trails.
About the Author
Senior editor Brian Metzler has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado.
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