In the past 3 years, I have bought 4 styles of Asics running shoes and these are my favorite!

My sell points for determining that these are "good" sneakers:
1.) Toe Space - I have problems with my toes going numb if I don't have adequate room in the toe box. To accommodate, I usually order a size 10 and lace up tightly (when I wear a 9 or 9.5) in regular shoes. This causes my shoes to typically wear faster in the heels because they side around a little, but my toes don't go numb after my daily 4 mile trail hike.
2.) Comfort - This includes arch support and overall cushioning. I have bad knees, so I can tell when the cushioning starts to go in sneakers. Mine last almost 3 months exactly when worn for 4 miles daily.
3.) Cuteness - Sorry to be vain but I want sneakers to be cute and have pink on them. These are the only kind I buy. Judge me if you must ;)
4.) Easy to put on / take off - I hate untying my shoes, so I love that these have a loop in the back so I can slip them on with minimal unlacing (lazy).
5.) Doesn't cake-in dirt/mud - When on loose dirt trails, I often encounter dirt & mud that gets caked into my soles, so I favor the Asics styles over, say K-Swiss because the soles don't have a lot of "hiding places" for mud to get packed into.

I compared:
ASICS Women's Gel-Venture 5 - My all time favorite for toe space as well as cushion and arch support and wears well.
ASICS Women's Gel-contend 3 - Wider in the arch area but narrow in the toes and heels.
ASICS Women's Gel-scram 2 - Great toe space but not much arch support to speak of (super-cute though!)
ASICS Women's Gel Frequency 2 - Actually a walking shoe and built much less "tough" and more lightweight but has a flimsy feel to it and comes up short against the back of the heel, so it fit kinda weird.

When I say these shoes "wear well" I mean that they don't look like they are falling apart even after much use/wear. The only indicators of wear that they show are some wear on the inside of the heels but probably only because I wear a half size too big on purpose, and also some fraying where the inner fabric (pink) meets the lace holes. (See pics)

Overall, I love these shoes the best of all I've tried in Asics as well as Adidas, Saucony, Vibram and K-Swiss and won't be straying from the Gel-Venture 5 shoes again. I love them and don't think it gets any better than this :)

Fit just right and the best shoe I've ever worn.

I have high arches, meaning my feet tend to roll outward, placing a lot of my weight on the outer corners of my feet. After sever foot pains and a Dr visit, I purchased my first high end shoe (Asics) They worked well, but after a year I needed to replace them (which is normal). Explaining my foot issue to a high end store rep, who I thought could help... He gives me a $140 pair of Asics. I get them home and the pain in my feet became excruciating. 3 months past by, and I'm committed to my walking but I finally can't take the pain anymore. Come to find out he gave me shoes for the opposite problem. Forcing my feet even more pressure! I looked and looked for another pair of Asics that worked for high arches and couldn't seem to find an affordable, good looking pair that describes what I needed. So I googled best shoes for high arches and these Brooks Ghost came up. They had great reviews, so I give it a try.

To get to the point of my review...

1 week later and I'm up to 4 miles a day with a pep in my walk. Best damn shoes ever. I'm 5'4" and weigh 214 lbs. My shoes take the shock of the weight and guide my foot properly, and they look amazing (a total bonus). Its worth every penny I spent and I'm sold for life. Way to go Brooks!! Make sure you select a pair of shoes right for your feet and arches (low, neutral, and high)

Good