Having a tough time deciding on rims

Bought my '97 Taco a couple of months ago and am ready to put tires on... that seems to be the easy part... the local guy where I am carries Kelley TSRs. Sweet tires.

However the tough part is in deciding to keep the 16x7" 4Runner alloys whick are currently sporting 265/70/R16 rubber or to go down to 15"s. My truck is a four banger. I live in a really hilly area and I'm now understanding what you guys are talking about with the gearing... the revs are just too high in 2nd gear and too low in 3rd, far too often. I do like the look of the current setup but to stick with the 16's and go with a beefier tire I'm looking at either boosting up the aspect ratio to a 75 which will probably further exacerbate the gearing issue, or going to a 245/75/R16 which will keep the diameter pretty much the same.

OR... dropping down to a 15" and going 235/75/R15... I could still get the Kelley's (or Wranglers) - prices seem pretty reasonable on those tires too.
Will I really notice that much difference in the gearing?

What I'm discovering today in my research on wheels is that the look of the Toyota 15" rims for the most part just don't appeal to me.
My first two picks for aftermarket would be the ProComp 1069 or 8069, or perhaps the Cragar Soft 8's.

The Soft 8's are cheap, but I've read about clearance issues with the calipers. Is that an issue mainly with the 2001-2004 trucks, or would I also be subject to that problem as well with my '97? There are after all multiple offset choices for each wheel size, 7 or 8".

The ProComps seem to offer offsets that make them stick out pretty far..., and less choice in offset... but they're sweet rims and suit the Tacomas well.

I don't know why I have to be one of those unlucky guys who has to be hung up on looks. Feels like a curse .