I was looking for a rugged walking shoe, and after some extensive shopping, selected the Gel Foundation Walker in black.  The appearance is low key but sharp, and the build quality is pretty good.  The soles have a tread pattern is a kind of a series of ridges, that provides good traction, and looks to be solidly glued on.  There are no pointed nubs that wear down first.  The heel of the Foundation Walker is about 1.2 inches high, rock solid, and should hold up for the lifetime of the shoe.  While the heel is solid, the shoe is still quite flexible in the front by the balls of the feet.  If you are kneeling down, your feet will feel no undue stress.  Asics' gel sole is very comfortable, with gel inserts at various locations, but doesn't quite have the bounce I thought it might.  Normally I add some kind of cushion insert for a little more arch support, but so far have not done so, as there seems to be just enough rear arch support.  My feet don't feel worn out after walking a few miles

The design follows the typical Asics' pattern, with both solid and breathable sections.  The solid sections made of some smooth synthetic material are attractive, but do not appear to be particularly wear or scratch resistant.  The breathable sections appear to be fairly thick and durable.  The laces are OK, but are a little thin for my tastes.  Overall, it's an attractive and comfortable shoe, great for trekking on pavement, but probably not well-suited to hiking off the trail.

While I would of course preferred to pay less, at $63 this was a pretty good buy for me.  The price of some shoes can fluctuate quite a bit at Amazon, and long term availability often seems to be an issue, so if you see a good deal, it's best not to wait too long.