Explore the Latest Questions and Answers in Shoelaces

It's probably the nature of modern shoelaces. They are made of synthetic substances and are usually round and therefore do not hold themselves together as well as earlier natural fiber and flat shoelaces1. How do you tie dye shoelaces?Most of the shoelaces you can buy are made of synthetic fibers that wo not take any ordinary dye. The only dye you can use to dye polyester shoelaces is disperse dye, which you can not buy locally. Rit dye will not work on polyester shoelaces, and neither will tie-dye kits. You can mail-order disperse dyes as "Prosperse" dye from PRO Chemical & Dye or "iDye Poly" from Blick Art Materials. To use them, you have to boil the laces in the dye for half an hour or longer. To easily dye shoelaces any color, you need to buy 100% cotton shoelaces. These are available from Dharma Trading Company. Use a good fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye, Tulip One Step Fashion Dye, Dylon Permanent Dye, or any good tie-dye kit (not Rit).2. Who invented the small plastic covering outside of shoelaces? And what is the plastic covering called?The small plastic or metal sheath on the end of shoelaces that keeps the twine from unraveling is called an aglet (or aiglet). An aglet or aiglet is the little plastic or metal cladding on the end of shoelaces that keeps the twine from unraveling. The word comes from the latin word acus which means needle. In times past, aglets were usually made of metal though some were glass or stone. Many were highly ornamental, and made of precious metals such as silver. Before the invention of buttons, they were used on the ends of ribbons to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they would be formed into small figures. Shakespeare calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in The Taming of the Shrew. Purely decorative metal ornaments called aigullette are sometimes features of modern military dress uniforms. In modern times an aglet is frequently used as an example of a common object whose name is relatively unknown. Perhaps due to this, they are occasionally referenced in popular culture. According to the paranoid superhero The Question in Justice League Unlimited, their true purpose is sinister. According to characters from Achewood, aglets are a key ingredient in a drug called "Fool's Meth." The aglet is also mentioned in the 1988 movie, Cocktailwhere Tom Cruise's character called it a "flugelbinder". i found this on another answer credit goes to Dr. Brian3. Trivia Fun: The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called what?A aiglet, I think lol4. what is the end tip of the shoelaces called?The plastic or metal sleeves at the end of shoelaces are called "aglets" (or "aiglets"). Besides making an interesting trivia or crossword puzzle question, aglets have several functions: They prevent the lace ends from fraying, they make the laces easier to hold, and they make them easier to pass through the eyelets5. Does having red shoelaces make me look racist?As a Trojan Skinhead I can tell you that lace colour means absolutely nothing at all. I have spoken to German Skinheads and they concur with me on this point. There are all sorts of fanciful rumours floating around about skinheads and lace colour. In Britain some think white laces symbolise a gay skinhead whereas in Germany, white laces represent a neo fascist and red laces a more old style Trojan skinhead who enjoys the Ska, Reggae, Northern Soul and the Blue Beat scene. It is a nonsense! I have red laces, white laces and yellow laces for my black Dr. Marten boots and I change them as I wish and it depends very much upon what colour Ben Sherman shirt I wear that particular day. Down the road from me in Roehampton (London suburb) there is a black skinhead who also prefers black Dr. Martens and he often wears red laces in his boots so I doubt that he would be classed as a white supremacist. It's a lot of nonsense and you wear what lace colour you wish and to hell with those who think they know better.6. What are the plastic bits at the end of shoelaces called? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.ukSEMANTIC ENIGMAS What are the plastic bits at the end of shoelaces called? THE WORD is "aglet". A chemist at Berkeley has recently made a molecular version for stopping the ends of certain long intertwined molecules from fraying. THIS is a classic example of the family of names for things you did not know had a name (and probably did not care). Others are the indent at the bottom of a wine bottle (a kick or a punt) and the wire contraption on table lamps that keeps the shade off the bulb (a harp). Learn these and impress your friends! THE SECONDARY purpose of an aglet is when purchasing a dictionary: if it does not include the word, then do not buy it. Another good word for this test is ferrule, the tip on the bottom of an umbrella. While 'aglet' may be a correct term for the plastic bits on the ends of shoelaces, spare a thought for Dr. Wolfgang Flgle, of the University of Heidleberg in Germany. It was he who originally discovered that small piece of sheep's intestine, suitably cleaned and shrunk, was a perfect device to prevent his own laces from unravelling. This idea caught on, and the device became known as Flglebinder (plural) (lit. 'Flgle's ties') but the unfortunate academic failed to patent the idea, which was later pinched by the chap who name them 'aglets'.