It so depends on your feet. I really wanted to like the altras but they were too narrow for me. Agree you need to try stuff on.

Altra Lone Peak

I have and adore Vasque breeze. But they don’t make them consistently which is annoying. But they are the perfect mix of low, grippy and supportive. I can’t stand shoes where I can’t feel the ground easily.

https://www.sierra.com/item~p~2rtpp-01-8-m/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=OrganicShopping&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&cid=Sierra:OrgShoppingFeeds:GOOGLE:NA:NA

If I had to buy new ones now, I’d do Altra:

https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/hike-shoes/womens-lp-alpine-al0a5482?variationId=921

But I do like a bit more minimal insoles so I can feel the ground better.

Merrels

This is super unhelpful to say - but go to REI and try on a bunch. If you can.

For something like Billy Goat, I think you can just wear trail runners! I like my Brooks trail runners but there are a thousand different brands.

I'm looking for a pair of good quality hiking sneakers to wear on medium to difficult hikes. I have a pair of hiking boots but I wants something lower as the boots feel a bit constricting on certain hikes (like billy goat). Open to pretty much any brand. Would like to keep it under $150 or even better if I can get something on sale for closer to $100.

TIA