The Shoe Lace Aglet
The aglet is the little plastic or metal part on the end of the shoe lace. An aglet or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, used on each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides.
The inventor of the aglet is Harvey Kennedy in 1790.
So why is it called an aglet called Aglet?
The word “aglet” (or “aiglet”) originates from Old French “aguillette” (or “aiguillette”), which is the diminutive of “aguille” (or “aiguille”), meaning “needle”. This in turn comes from the original Latin word for needle: “acus”. Hence, an “aglet” is like a short “needle” at the end of a shoelace.
Contrasting color aglets or aglets with logos are a nice detail to spice up your shoe design.
The simplest way to create an aglet is to wrap adhesive tape two or three times around the end of the shoelace. Inside the shoe factory, they have an automatic machine that pulls the lace to length, wraps the end with clear tape and hot cuts the ends.