Never liked Nike shoes. They always seem to fall apart on me.
New Balance are awesome though. When I retire a set of NBs from running, I start wearing them casually. I have a pair that is 5 years old right now and they are still holding up great.
Picking a shoe for running is about more than recommendations though. You have to find out what kind of biomechanics you have. I tend to pronate when I run (my ankles turn inward). So I opt for shoes with motion control. They are heavier than straight cushioned shoes but I went with a pair of those before I knew about my tendencies and I started to get a tendon problem in my left foot. I switched to motion control and then I was good.
www.runningwarehouse.com lets you pick shoes based on your needs. First you have to find out what your needs are. Try going to a running store like Runner’s Roost to see if they can evaluate your step and then you can get a shoe that will actually help you feel better running.
^Thats what I was going to suggest until I saw that you live in VA. To get the most out of your running shoe you need to find out specifics of your running style. Bring in shoes that you have ran in when you go to a runners store. Otherwise, if you end up buying generic running shoes, I would say go with a nice pair of NB’s or Asics.
I recommend Fleet Feet http://www.fleetfeetbuffalo.com/ they do a real good job of making sure you get a shoe that fits you and will be good for the type of running you want to do.
^^^ yeah what he said, fleet feet will let you try on many different brands / styles to find out what works best for you. I have always bought asics, usually the higher end ones in the past. Now I have Nike bowermans and they had held up well.