All,
I took your advice and got a pair of Nike Romaleos 3 from the Nike online store for $103 (with online coupon). I thought that was a good deal.
I was skeptical as a beginner who only uses 300 lbs for my squat work set. I was wrong. You can definitely tell a difference. Someone described the sensation earlier as feeling like you feet are bolted to the floor. I couldn't agree with this more.