A Brief Overview: What You Need to Know About the History of Laces

Sneakers can protect your feet against adverse weather conditions and a number of health hazards which can affect your life negatively. Getting the right laces can give you a comfortable feeling while walking around your home. Most of the sneakers we know have laces. Whether it is black or neon pink laces, they all serve the same function.

Lace is a woven band used to pull the sneakers together and hold it to the foot. A typical lace has two main parts — the woven tape which pulls the sneakers together and the aglet which fits through the ends of the sneakers. However, when you opt for no-tie laces, they are made of special elastic material and don’t feature any aglets. They are easy to use and can make wearing your sneakers a cinch.

Laces have unsung significance in our lives. For example, the kids are considered mature when they can easily tie laces on their own without assistance. On the other side, the athletes are always checking their laces before they begin any race to make sure they do not trip.

Laces are manufactured in two ways. The common method which is a bit old-fashioned involves the use of machines. The process is quite simple and it is used to produce a large number of laces in one day. It is used in instances where the manufacturer wants to produce a variation of the laces in terms of the color, fiber, and the shape of the laces ends. There is also new machinery which has been developed and it uses computerized weaving to form laces in a fabric loom.

The History of the Laces

The history of the laces is often associated with the arrival of the sneakers and its design during the different eras and cultures. The Mesopotamians used to wear laces of leather in 2000BC which were bound to the feet and the ankles with the laces which were made of rawhide. The Greeks also had them tied using the rawhide laces.

The Roman soldiers are the ones who spread the use of the laces to Western Europe. The Britons adopted the footgear worn by the Roman soldiers. There was also a wide variety of flat soles and foot covering worn during this time and most of them were made from luxurious fabric material and fur.

During the Elizabeth era, the footgear would be secured by the use of laces which were plain and others were jeweled. The rich Americans would secure theirs made with colored leather or fabric while the poor would have them tied with the rawhide traces.

The sneakers have indeed evolved for the last five decades and various designs exist today. This does not mean that the old designs are completely lost. There are some cultures which preserve them as an expression of their culture.

Raw Materials Used in Making Laces

The raw materials used in the laces manufacturing will depend on the type of lace and its intended use. The common fibers used in making the laces include polyester, cotton, nylon, polypropylene, and others.

Quality Control in Laces Manufacturing

The quality control method used will depend on the method of production for the typical laces. The company which uses braiding machinery controls quality in three different ways. The common way is by monitoring the bobbins as they will be leaving the braid. If the bobbin is empty, it will drop down and the action will stop until a new bobbin will be formed. The operator will then make a large knot on the laces which can be easily noticed. The operator will always make sure they remove the laces with a knot before it moves to the tipping machine.

Handling of Waste

Companies that manufacture laces with the use of dyes always make sure they have disposed of the waste in the right way to avoid water pollution. Most of the government authorities monitor the disposal of waste from lace manufacturing companies.

Laces are vital for your sneakers, so make sure you get the best quality no-tie laces like the neon pink laces to make your move easier.