Spending some extra cash on quality tires is worth it IMO.

I am currently liking Schwalbe, have had good experience with Contis, but have heard they can suffer from sourcing from different regions. Schwalbe have had couple of recalls too. In the past have had good experience with Michelin, but mostly on cars and motorcycles, don't know how they are for bicycles.

One thing I like about Schwalbe, if you read up on their website, you can get a good idea of what tradeoffs you get with various tires. Grip/Wear/Puncture Resistance/Ride/Price.

Please note, if you select for good results in the first 4 categories, do NOT expect the last one to be kind to your wallet!