Newtons, brooks, asics are some good brands to look for. What I would recommend you do is go to a dedicated running store and let them do a gait analysis on you and they'll recommend you the shoe that you should be in base on your running style.

ive worn them all, from 50$ to 200+ $$ runners, im currently wearing brookes pure flow and to be honest theyre the best shoes ive ever owned. as far as comfort, durability, support and look. ive had several nikes and they are bar far the worse ive ever owned. im hard on shoes and when i do run and do cardio i average 7-10 miles a day running. so a good shoe is important to me. and when you run that much you learn real quick what is a quality shoe. im not a fan of minimalist shoes because the often dont offer a good deal of support or shock absorption, and they are often hard on the heal and calf. i know many who wear them and love them but that my personal experience with them

new balance minimus wear shoes work great

I guess I didn't read that you were looking for strictly a gym shoe, assuming just for lifting. If you don't plan on running in them, I definitely recommend the Nike Free's for the gym, insanely lightweight/comfy and dont even need to wear socks in them. you can find them pretty cheap online, don't pay more than $65 for them, get last years model or something

As soon as I switched to Asics, i fell in love. I'm kicking myself for not switching years ago, no more shin splints, no knee pain, minimal soreness the following day. The best Asic's are the Gel Nimbus and Gel Kayano. I own both pairs, the Kayano are a little more comfy but they're both amazing. Had my 61 yr old father switch to the gel nimbus after decades of running in Nike's, and he's blown away, says if he had been using them all along it might've saved his knees. They both retail for $140-150 but you can get them under $100 if you dig around. If you don't believe me, just look up reviews on either of these models.

Nimbus 14 are already on sale and come out to $75.55 after using a 15% off code, great fuking deal, free 2 day shipping also (no code needed). 15% off code : FB15D

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-ANM14M1.html (Light/Royal/Black)
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-ANM14M2.html (neon yellow)
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-ANM14M4.html (lite bright)

Kayano 19 $99 after a $10 off code. Black/Red/Lime are the only color that are on sale I think this color is the best looking anyway and everywhere else they're $145-150. $10 off code: 10RMENOT75, $20 off $150 or more : 20RMENOT150 ..

http://www.finishline.com/store/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod710521

Reebok SmoothFlex Cushrun - Most comfortable sneaker I ever owned. They form to your foot and breath really well since it's a open porous shoe. I have a wide foot and a wide size 14 is hard to find in a cool looking and nice fitting shoe. These are sweet got mine in black and white......

New Balances are the most comfortable and durable bar none

I wear inov-8. They are super light weight and style looks good too. Look into their gym shoes on their webpage. they are sold all over the web