I was just in this dilemma and I researched everywhere online for the best running shoes. I love cute shoes and definitely wouldn't wear hideous shoes, but trust me when I say it's all about the
fit and not the
look. Because no matter how cute it is, if it's not the right type for your foot, you'll do yourself some serious damage. You need to know what type you are--whether you're a supinator, a pronator, or an over-pronator. Also if you have a high arch or flat foot.
Look up a few local running stores near you that don't specialize in one particular brand. Usually when you go in an employee will have you try on a bunch of different shoes to see what fits you best. When I went to Seattle's Footzone they actually videotaped me running on a treadmill to determine what strike-type and toe-off I was (I pronate--so I tend to roll inward) and to see how I liked the shoe I was wearing. I wanted something with cushioning and stability, and I found that in the Mizuno Wave Alchemy.
That's something Nike doesn't do. I know because I went there first and actually bought a pair of Nike Shox, but after talking to my sister, who's a personal trainer, she told me to stick with better running brands like Asics, Mizuno, etc. She's around a lot of athletes all the time and said she never sees anyone wearing Nike. I'm not positive, but I also read that you have to be at least 170lbs for the "shox" to work..
And I think your local running store would be more willing to let you return the shoe if you find out it's not working for you. That's what won me over when I went in to Footzone. They didn't have the size larger than I normally wear, but they said if the ones I bought were too small after a few weeks of running, I could come in and get the others. Nice, huh? Love it.
Nike told me to run in the house to see if they were right. Hmmm...