<s>
An	O
aglet	O
(	O
)	O
or	O
aiglet	O
is	O
a	O
small	O
sheath	O
,	O
often	O
made	O
of	O
plastic	O
or	O
metal	O
,	O
attached	O
at	O
each	O
end	O
of	O
a	O
shoelace	B-Application
,	O
a	O
cord	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
drawstring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aglets	B-Language
were	O
originally	O
made	O
of	O
metal	O
,	O
glass	O
,	O
or	O
stone	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
were	O
very	O
ornamental	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wealthy	O
people	O
in	O
the	O
Roman	O
era	O
would	O
have	O
their	O
aglets	B-Language
made	O
out	O
of	O
precious	O
metals	O
such	O
as	O
brass	O
or	O
silver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Huffington	O
Post	O
editor	O
James	O
Cave	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
aglet	O
’s	O
evolution	O
is	O
a	O
little	O
knotty	O
—	O
many	O
sources	O
credit	O
it	O
as	O
being	O
popularized	O
by	O
an	O
English	O
inventor	O
named	O
Harvey	O
Kennedy	O
who	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
earned	O
$2.5	O
million	O
off	O
the	O
modern	O
shoelace	B-Application
in	O
the	O
1790s.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Today	O
,	O
the	O
clear	O
plastic	O
aglets	B-Language
on	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
shoelaces	B-Application
are	O
put	O
there	O
by	O
special	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
machines	O
wrap	O
plastic	O
tape	O
around	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
new	O
shoelaces	B-Application
and	O
use	O
heat	O
or	O
chemicals	O
to	O
melt	O
the	O
plastic	O
onto	O
the	O
shoelace	B-Application
and	O
bond	O
the	O
plastic	O
to	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
a	O
subtle	O
distinction	O
between	O
aglets	B-Language
,	O
which	O
are	O
generally	O
functional	O
,	O
and	O
aiguillettes	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
generally	O
decorative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shoe	O
companies	O
often	O
produce	O
their	O
own	O
shoelaces	B-Application
,	O
for	O
which	O
they	O
manufacture	O
aglets	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
companies	O
prefer	O
to	O
add	O
metal	O
sheaths	O
over	O
plastic	O
aglets	B-Language
for	O
better	O
durability	O
.	O
</s>
