Hiking sticks! What good do they do?

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Have you been out in the country this summer yet either at home or abroad..have you ever seen these people walking with these "hiking " poles...? Do they actually do any good i mean i can understand their use if you are walking up an incline but hey you see people now walking on perfectly flat terrain! Are they just another gimmick in our gimmick laden society..for example old guys wearing green wellies just to mow the lawn.. you know where im coming from?