Oh, as far as shoes and costs -

How a shoe fits is the most important thing and that'll often stay consistent over a given brand's line-up (unless they have specific wide/narrow options). As you move up in price with a given brand, you'll usually get stiffer soles, lighter weights and convenience features like Boa dials that are more easily adjusted. So, first things first, find a brand with a shape that you get along with and then look at the features that you get as you move up in price-point. Find where you're most comfortable with the value proposition and you're done.