the more athletic shoes are sort of from a bygone era (namely Reebok), I don't think that you will find athletic plate shoes that are worth their dollars anymore, 3-n-2 are very uncomfortable and were rips of the old seriously good pentagons, and the older new balance had a more work boot feel to them, like the 450's, which were pretty damned good, the reebok magistrates, well the tread soles would come off and the tread's nubs would rub down, the Reebok zigs were good, but much like the Mizunos, the plates damage too easily
best of luck