Ian's Shoelace Site - Tips of Shoelaces = Aglets
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Tips of Shoelaces = Aglets
Many people search for shoelace "tips" or "ends" because they want to know the name of the plastic or metal bits  at the ends of shoelaces. They're called "Aglets", and you can find out more about them here, including how to  repair or replace them.
Aglet Information
What is an Aglet?
An "aglet" (sometimes spelt "aiglet") is the name given to the plastic or metal tip on the end of a shoelace.  Despite their simplicity, aglets perform several functions:
They stop the ends of the shoelaces from unravelling;
They make it easier to hold the ends of the shoelaces when lacing;
They make it easier to thread the shoelaces through the eyelets or lugs;
They may also provide a colorful or decorative finish to the laces.
Because the word "aglet" is not well known, it makes a popular question on trivia quizzes and crossword puzzles.  If you were one of those people searching for the name for the tip of a shoelace, you have your answer. If you'd  like to find out more about aglets, read on!
Where does the word "aglet" come from?
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.
Note that the name "aglet" has also been given to a class of Java programs, and in that context is derived from the  words "agent" & "applet", as described here:
Aglet Manufacturing Processes
Metal aglet process
In the past, most aglets were made of metal, and were created by either rolling or crimping a small piece of metal  directly onto the shoelace. Shoe repairers were able to supply and fit replacement aglets using a heavy duty crimping  tool (as pictured at right).
In recent years, metal aglets have seen a resurgence, bringing some "bling" back to shoelaces. These are usually  attached in the factory by either gluing or crimping.
Plastic tape aglet process
Nowadays, most aglets are made of plastic, and are formed directly onto the raw shoelace using a large, expensive  "shoelace tipping" machine (as pictured at right).
A typical plastic aglet begins with acetate tape, twice the width of the required aglet, which is wound around a  section of the uncut shoelace. Carefully controlled heat, and often a solvent such as acetone, is applied at the  same time, which just melts the tape directly onto the shoelace as well as bonding the tape onto itself.
When cooled, the shoelace is cut through the middle of the coated section, leaving half on each side of the cut.  This single operation creates two aglets: One attached to the end of the cutoff section of shoelace, another attached  to the start of the uncut section of shoelace.
Molded tip aglet process
For polyester shoelaces, there is also another totally different process where the end is clamped and heated  ultrasonically, producing a solid molded tip from the actual shoelace material itself. Shoelaces with molded tip  aglets are often used for high-stress applications such as ice hockey skates because they have no separate plastic  or metal piece that can become damaged and fall off onto the ice.
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