While I was having a terrible time walking with the torn muscle, I had to use a cane. I spotted a neighbor with a very nice one indeed. She said it was a hiking stick that she had purchased on line.

So I went on line right away to look for hiking sticks since I certainly didn’t want a dowdy old cane. I ordered a set of sleek hiking sticks, adjustable to height and with a rubber foot for city walking. (I live in New York City so I use the rubber feet.)

Three days later these wonderful things arrived. They are made by York Nordic, a small family-owned business. The design is terrific, and the poles are definitely NOT old-lady image.

They can be adjusted to any height, and are collapsible to fit into their handy carrying pouch. The first pair came without instructions from that huge online site that starts with “A”. I set them up wrong, and when I called York Nordic,  I reached the owner, Lauren, who couldn’t have been nicer. The end result was a new pair of York Nordic poles that are just wonderful.

Nothing nicer than a really well designed product (the adjustment screws are sheer genius, and a brilliant elastic cord inside makes them really easy to collapse, yet totally sturdy so you can trust them with your weight when walking).

That, and the great customer service earns them a five star rating. Check it out for yourself! yorknordic.com