I love these hiking sticks! They have a little spring inside that absobs shock when pressure is put on them. My only complaint is that the bottom softer hand rest slips up and down on one of my poles but it hasn't given me any difficulty hiking. My hands do get sweaty so the top grip gets a bit uncomfortable but I just usually dry my hands and keep trekking. I love the purple color running down the entire pole and not just on the top like ive seen on other poles. I've passed the "STOP" when adjusting my poles and I was scared that they were broken from what I've heard but it was okay thankfully. Just avoid doing it in the first place but if it happens it okay.The only reason this loses a star for me is the two end pieces come off very easily. They were lost (unknowingly) on the first outing. You'd think they'd find a better way to attach these. Also, the lashings that go around your wrist could stand to be a bit longer. If you have big man hands, they may fit tight.The length was not a problem for me. I'm 5'11" and I felt these were sufficiently long even not fully extended (which makes them feel flimsy, so I left a bit of slack).All in all, for what you get, for the price, this is an exceptional value. Toss the ends, just use it bare, and you'll be fine.--Pros & Cons by Acid--Pros::. Haven't collapsed on my wife once. Seems durable and came with a few different tips. I believe tips from another Trekking set we got has tips that also fit these poles. Wife has not complained about the foam grip or the straps.Cons::. Wish it came with more tips. Possibly better design. Foam grips tend to get hot so it'll be interesting how they feel during a summer hike here.Overall::. Great poles for the price. We bought these extremely short notice so their wasn't much of a good selection out their, happy to say tho that these poles didn't fail us. They were cheap and look plain but functioned properly and seem to hold up nicely, can't beat that!For the price, these poles are not that bad. I just came back from a 40 mile section hike on the AT using these poles and, other than a few scratches, they held up pretty well. However, when you first open them, make sure you don't over extend the sections. At first I did not notice but, if you expand the poles slowly you will see the word "stop" printed on the pole, when you see "stop" just tighten the section. If you over extend it with too much force you might break them. Also, for reference I am 5'10, and the poles were a tad too short, if you are any taller than that I'd say you definitely need something else. I also found the grips and straps to be a bit uncomfortable after awhile, I actually developed a few blisters from the straps rubbing on my wrists. Overall, I would recommend these poles if you are going to hike shorter distances, but they are probably not the best choice for backpacking.I ordered these to use as walking sticks, as most standard walking sticks are too short for my 6'4" frame. Having balance issues, I need the extra support assistance. These fit the bill perfectly, with a spare. I don't know how useful they would be in icy conditions, but in Texas I don't expect much of that. They do have carbide tips that I presume I could use in such cases by simply removing the rubber tips I normally use. I also love that these are adjustable, so I can shorten or lengthen them as I need, depending on my stability at any given moment. They have been invaluable in helping me get back on my feet after a near-fatal health crisis, a nd cheap enough that I can get several to color-coordinate.For the price, these are hard to beat. Like many others, I have no need for the snow cap, I took them off. These are sold under other names I think, but mine have the Crown Sporting Goods name on them. They're lightweight, the spring on the end is new for me, wasn't sure about it but after a hike, I found myself liking it, small thing but noticeable in a good way. The attached pic is after a 5mi hike along a river trail, with varied terrain from pebbles, to sand, to clay, this stick helped out and I would recommend.Now I have just the support for those long day hikes on narrow trails. These are adjustable which really helps. Using them to maintain stride on the flat and then support going down steep sections of a trail. The features of having rubber protection on the bottom of the pole and then also the spike for those icy trails is a bonus. The flared ring you can install on the bottom of the pole will come in handy in deeper snow areas. Light and sturdy!This set of poles came with just one set of "snow, or soft ground feet". They are the less expensive of the three types I bought. Super easy to adjust, up to 53" long. They have less sets of feet included, but they are spring loaded, which the other, more expensive pairs are not. Also the handle straps are fully adjustable on this set, and the others are not. They came packaged horribly though. Just a plastic bag wrapped around them. May have been a return, because there are scratches on one set, and missing peices. Packaging aside, the poles are pretty decent. But the handles are rubber, as opposed to Cork or foam on the other sets I bought. These are the twist locking type. The other set have latch locking system, "called quick adjustment". This pair adjusts faster, and has no tightening clips to break. For just about $25, I would be thoroughly impressed if they were packaged properly. Oh, and these are spring loaded. You can depress them while climbing a little hill , and they spring back. I believe this helps, like giving you a little push each step.They also claim that these springs help burn 45% more calories.I just received them and when I opened the plastic packaging I guess I did not open it enough as when I pulled the one pole out it extended to the max.it would not adjust but then I remembered the reviews and did some looking at the pole and all one has to do to make it easy to adjust is simply loosen up the tightener more and it then adjusts with ease One bit of advice do not try adjust by holding the pole in your hands once loosened put the one end on the floor and simply gently push down on it the section then slides down with ease.The one thing I did not care for is the baskets they are to small will sink down in snow and mud,but what I did was order a set of 4 larger baskets from Amazon a simple fix in my books and they do not cost much.They are very affordable which drew me to them. That said when fully extended you can tell they are starting to look a bit fragile. Planted between two rocks on a descent after using them for a few hikes in the Rockies and the aluminum part of the pole snapped right inhalf. Still giving 2 stars since I've got one more pole but If using these in technical terrain I may not feel confident fully relying on it going forward. May be better suited to walk abouts in the city than on mountainsI just opened mine... no instructions.. I pulled the first one until it stopped and its to high for what I need them for.. Now, I cannot get it lowered.. 2nd one I extended slowly and it the proper height... I now have one to high and one just the right height.. I bought them to use to take skating after being off the ice for a few decades...after I sat and played with them for 5 minutes or so, I was able to adjust to my required height. now, waiting for cold weather again for the rink to freeze to try them out.Just an additional note.. This was the quickest item shipped from Amazon.. and I am a frequent buyer..I demand a lot out of my gear because I adventure on long and difficult trails. I did 2 trails (50km and 30km) and these poles broke 2/3 through the second trail. They felt sturdy but didn't last. That being said, the terrain I hiked on was quite uneven and steep so I put a decent amount of force through them (I am 160 lbs and had a 40 lb backpack).I also found them difficult to adjust and sometimes got stuck at a certain length. Once you extend it to a certain length, it takes quite a bit of fidgeting and sometimes completely taking it apart to get it to shorten again.I would only recommend this product if you are doing easy to moderate trails, as you will likely get your money's worth due to how inexpensive this product it.