Broken Shoelace Aglet – How to Fix It

The most durable way to fix a broken shoelace aglet is with heat-shrink tubing: trim the frayed end, slide on a piece of tubing and shrink it with hot air. Quick temporary solutions are clear glue, sticky tape and wrapping with thread. If the lace is important or expensive, the best option is a new metal aglet crimped on with pliers.

Why the shoelace aglet breaks

Most shoelaces have a thin plastic aglet that is exposed to constant bending, friction in the eyelets and knocks against the floor. Over time the plastic cracks, peels off and falls away. The causes are usually:

• thin or low-quality tubing;
• poor shrinking in production – the aglet has not bonded completely;
• frequent untying by pulling the end;
• washing in a washing machine, where the lace hits the drum;
• eyelets that are too narrow and scratch the aglet every time the lace is threaded.

Broken shoelace aglet: 5 ways to fix it

1. Heat-shrink tubing

This is the solution closest to a factory aglet. Heat-shrink tubing is sold in electrical supply shops.

1. Cut off the frayed end with sharp scissors.
2. Twist the tip so that it becomes thin and firm.
3. Choose tubing with an inner diameter slightly larger than the lace and cut a piece 1.5–2 cm long.
4. Slide the tubing over the end.
5. Heat with a hair dryer on its hottest setting or with a hot-air gun until it shrinks tightly.

For a stronger result, you can coat the tip with a little glue before fitting the tubing.

2. Clear glue or varnish

Dip the twisted end in clear fabric glue, superglue or clear nail varnish. Once dry, the end becomes hard. The solution is quick but not very durable, and on synthetic laces it can leave a hard, sharp tip.

3. Sticky tape

Wrap the end tightly with clear sticky tape, slightly at an angle so that it becomes cone-shaped. This is an emergency fix until you find a better one.

4. Wrapping with thread

The old tailoring method: twist the end and wrap it tightly with thread in the colour of the lace, then fix it with glue. It looks handcrafted and suits linen and cotton laces.

5. A new metal aglet

Metal aglets are sold separately and are crimped around the end with pliers or a small press. They are the most durable and look like factory aglets. Before fitting, the end must be twisted and lightly glued so that it goes fully into the aglet.

Frayed lace – what to do if it no longer goes through the eyelets

If the end is badly frayed, first cut it back to the sound part. With synthetic laces, you can carefully seal the cut with a lighter so that it does not unravel further, and then fit tubing or an aglet. If the lace becomes too short after cutting, it is more sensible to replace it.

How manufacturers avoid the problem

For brands and garment factories, an aglet that falls off is a complaint, not a trifle. That is why several rules are followed in series production:

• the aglet is matched exactly to the thickness of the cord or lace;
• with plastic aglets, the shrinking temperature and time are controlled;
• metal aglets are crimped to a uniform depth and pull-tested;
• wash tests are carried out before the run is approved;
• for premium products, metal aglets are chosen instead of plastic ones.

For footwear and leather goods, the combination of the aglet with the eyelets and the material is also important – browse the accessories in our footwear and leather category.

How not to damage the lace during repair

• Do not heat the tubing with an open flame at close range – synthetic laces melt and blacken.
• With cotton laces, do not seal the end with a lighter – cotton does not melt, it burns.
• Do not make the aglet thicker than the eyelet holes, otherwise the lace will not go through.
• Let the glue dry completely before threading the lace.
• Cut at a slight angle – a tapered end goes more easily into the aglet and the eyelets.

Repairing a hood or trouser drawstring

The same methods apply to drawstrings on sweatshirts and jogging bottoms. There is, however, one important difference: if the aglet on a hood drawstring falls off, the cord is easily pulled into the channel. So it is best to repair the end before the cord disappears inside. If it has already been pulled in, attach a safety pin to its end and thread it back through the channel, then fit a new aglet or heat-shrink tubing. Thick hood cords require wider tubing or a metal aglet with a larger inner diameter.

What to keep at home for a quick repair

A small repair kit takes up as much space as a matchbox: a few pieces of heat-shrink tubing in different diameters, a tube of clear fabric glue, sharp scissors and a few spare metal aglets. With these you can save shoelaces, sweatshirt drawstrings and even the handles of fabric bags.

When to replace the whole lace

• The lace has thinned or torn where it passes through the eyelets.
• Both ends are frayed and the lace is short after cutting.
• The colour has faded and looks worn compared with the shoe.

Aglets for manufacturers from Polkom

Polkom is a manufacturer and wholesaler of garment accessories with over 30 years of experience. If you produce footwear, sweatshirts or bags, in our cord ends and aglets category you will find durable metal and plastic models, including with your logo. Send an inquiry with the type and thickness of your cord via our contact page and we will offer you samples.