Quick question - what shoes are you in now and what were the new balances that you hated. This will let us know if you're in a shoe that could actually be causing a problem and could combine features to get you the perfect shoe.
Something else that came to my mind as I was running in the snow yesterday and was really watching how I was running. Something that new runners tend to do is overstride and land incorrectly. I used to do that for years and only since taking up marathoning in the last couple years have I made a significant change to improve this - I didnt even realize how much of a problem it was till I made the change. Basically when you're running you want to take shorter steps then you think u need to take. Try to keep your knees slightly bent, and as you run you basically want to shuffle, not to bound step to step. If you have a fence to run next to or other horizontal line, try to make sure you're not bouncing up and down too much. You want to take more quick shorter stride steps, as that will reduce the impact load on your legs. Also how do you land (do you hit with the back of your foot, the middle of your foot, or your toes). Not that any one of these is wrong - I know lots of runners with each type of strike, but each can have its own unique problems.
Basically tho, when you're running, a fun game to play is to sneak up on people. The quieter your foot falls the less stress you're going to be putting on your bones and joints.