I'm sorry, but as I've said before, any benefits that trekking poles give you are cancelled out by just how awesome a real wooden walking stick is. I received many compliments from both locals and other pilgrims on my stick. "Now THAT'S a pilgrim staff!" a friendly man in Burgos told me. He was so impressed I think he wanted me to marry his niece. No, I'm not kidding.
So let's recap...
Trekking poles
Pros:
They help you walk or something, supposedly.
Cons:
They make you look like a dork
They are cold and soulless. (The Beatles never wrote a song called "Norwegian Lightweight Aluminum")
There are no statues of St. James using trekking poles, so you're probably excommunicated if you use them.
Wooden staff
Pros:
Makes you instantly identifiable as a pilgrim
They can be personalized and customized. (Good luck carving your name or a bible verse into aluminum. Hope your packed a Dremel!)
Good for fending off stray dogs and the hordes of potential mates your walking stick will attract.
Makes a perfect monopod for your camera.
Good for the environment. They literally grow on trees! Unlike aluminum which must be ripped from Mother Earth, smelted and processed, probably in some God-forsaken, carbon-spewing factory by a five year old that works for 2 cents a day with no bathroom break.
Cons:
None
So let's recap. Trekking poles, awful tools of Satan that promote child labor. Wooden staff, makes you the coolest pilgrim ever, doesn't pollute, and is personally endorsed by Moses, Aaron, St. James, and millions of pilgrims.
The choice is clear!