What are the tips on a shoelace called?
The plastic tips on a shoelace are called an aglet.
An aglet is the word given to a small sheath made of metal or plastic. Often the sheath is attached to the end of a cord, drawstring or cord. The aglet is used to stop the fibers of a lace from unravelling. Being much firmer than the shoelace, the narrow aglet makes it easier to feed the lace through eyelets, lugs and forms of lacing.
Originally aglets were designed for ornamental purposes and were made from metal, glass and stone. Aglets date back as far as the roman era where wealthy people would have aglets made from precious metals such as brass and silver.
What are the purposes of an aglet?
Aglets mainly serve the purpose of:
- Making it easier to hold the end of a shoelace when lacing a shoe
- Stop the ends of a shoelace from unravelling
- Make it easier to thread a shoelaces
- Provide a decorative appearance to a shoelace
