Ride 14 Runshield

I'd agree with the sentiment that if it's seriously raining, waterproof shoes won't keep the rain out and if anything won't drain as well, at which point I just embrace the wet, heavy feet and prioritize faster-drying meshy shoes. That said, I own Goretex shoes (currently the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX) and the Ride 14 Runshield (part of Saucony's winterized, water-resistant series), and do find they work well for drizzles / puddles / generally better traction, as well as added warmth for winter.

"flexible medium-stack shoe with good responsiveness" RIP to this version of the Ride, Still using the 14s because they were this perfect goldilocks shoe (at least for me)

I personally love Hoka Mach or Saucony PWR Run. I always size up (half to full size) than my normal shoe size as your feet tend to swell during runs. Everyone raves about Brooks but their shoes gave my shin splints and didn’t provide support. I recently discovered Mount to Coast R1 shoes and I LOVE them

How about Brooks Ghost or Saucony Ride? Both are about 7mm more than the Kinvara, so that probably qualifies as "a bit more" that you are looking for. These classics are going strong and are on their 17th and 18th iteration for a reason. I think this subreddit is so focused on the latest trends that commenters forget that these classics continue to exist and sell in huge numbers for a reason. Also, I'm not sure if you want low stack or firm - it's not necessarily the same thing! For example, On Cloudmonster 2 is higher stack but much more firm than the aforementioned Ghost and Ride.

I'm on my fourth pair of Saucony Rides. This year I went back to an older model because I liked it better.

everybody seems to be raving about the evo sl, kinda tempted to grab a pair and work it into a rotation. i've been fond of saucony the last few years - ride is a good work horse, endorphin speed is a good everyday/speed work hybrid.

Any running shoe worth having will start at $100 at least unless it’s a past model on sale (which may be 80 or 90 if it’s a good deal). I’d suggest a Saucony Ride or Brooks Ghost to start, both are pretty traditional shoes that a lot of people tend yo do well with. You can definitely find past models on sale. Goong to a running store to get recs is a good idea but I think it’s overkill as a new runner. I do recommend going somewhere with a good return policy (ie REI or Fleet Feet).