It does matter what kind of poles you have for Nordic Walking.   Nordic Walking poles are designed specially for Nordic Walking, where you swing your arms effeciently. The poles are very light weight. The strap should be a comfortable "half glove". When walking, the hands are gently cupping around the grip and they opens slightly when the pole is far back and while you extended your elbow. Ergonomically designed strap enables you to do Nordic Walking properly and efficiently.               Nordic Walking poles also have a metal tip for trail and sand use. With rubber 'paw' thay are also good on a hard pavement. As a results, you can use Nordic Walking poles anywhere.   Can you walk Nordic Walking with Hiking or Trekking poles?   Hiking (trekking) poles are designed for a very different use from Nordic Walking. They are meant for balancing and helping to move down and up hills, but for Nordic Walking they are too heavy and they don’t have a proper strap to do Nordic Walking correcly and efficiently. You will have to press your hand against the grip which will create unnecessary tension in your shoulder and neck region very soon.     Summa Summarum Investing in a good pair of Nordic Walking poles enables you to get all the benefits that Nordic Walking is meant to deliver.