I nearly decided not to buy this product after reading some of the reviews on the listings by other suppliers, but I am pleased that I took the chance. Contrary to one review, it took me less than ten minutes to assemble the shoes, by screwing-in the spikes and tightening them with the key supplied. It is true that the straps are not very strong, but they do hold if you adopt an appropriate walking style. You cannot walk normally with the spikes attached to your shoes, as the forward motion with the spikes dug 2" into the ground will indeed cause the aerators to be pulled from your shoes. But by lifting your feet upwards first, the aerators stay in place and do their job. Very good exercise for the leg muscles, so I do a little at a time. I found a lot of earth sticks to the spikes, so they need to be cleaned between sessions.