Hi John,
It's funny you should say that. Whilst out running last night, I thought I should make exactly the same post. Like you, I invested in a new pair of shoes (only 4th time running in them)-Brooks Beasts to be precise, on the advice of the Runners Need shop diagnosis (swapped from Asics Nimbus iv). I have since suffered a mild numbness in my left foot. I've loosend the laces and to my knowledge, I dont have a back problem.
My next move is to alter the way the shoes are laced. If you look at the RW main page, there is an article on how to lace your shoes to match your foot type. Perhaps this might help... see what you think.
Cheers!
Kev H.