Historical Context & Materials

• Oldest archaeological shoe: 5,500-year-old leather hide moccasin with leather cord laces
• Modern shoelaces: ready-made, variety of materials, styles, lengths, colors
• Company produces: shoelaces, drawstrings, wide range materials (cotton, rayon, acrylic)

Polyester Shoelace Production Setup

• Worker installs cones of fine polyester thread on Creole (feeds bobbin winding machines)
• Groups strands from 8 cones → feeds through one side of machine onto bobbin
• Groups strands from another 8 cones → feeds through other side onto second bobbin
• Each group of 8 strands produces one thicker polyester thread
• Machine programmed for specific length winding

Thread Specifications & Winding

• Each cone holds enough fine thread for 71-mile long thick thread
• Machine programmed to wind 8,200 feet thick thread per bobbin
• Worker installs 20 bobbins on braiding machine
• Thread passed through 3 eyelets (second regulates tension)
• Half threads gathered and knotted to catch when fed into machine

Braiding Process

• Braiding machine draws in knotted threads → pulls unknotted ones
• Machine begins braiding continuous round shoelace cord
• Tension wheels pull loose braids tighter for uniform cord diameter
• Finished cord ≈ 1 mile long, collects in barrel

Alternative Production Methods

• Knitted shoelaces: made from knitted rather than braided cord
• Thread cones feed knitting machine directly
• Machines use latch needles, perform two types of operations

Cord Cutting & Preparation

• Worker adjusts 4 metal pegs of winding device to shoelace length
• Winds cord around pegs up to 250 times (depends on cord diameter)
• Cuts end, ties cords together for easy transfer to tipping machine

Tipping Process - Aglets

• Center of each cord run over acetone-saturated felt pad
• Inserted in machine's dye
• Dye wraps acetate film tightly around cord, cuts in middle
• Produces shoelace with stiff tip (aglet) on each end

Alternative Tip Application

• Press applies nickel-plated steel tip (used on bag drawstrings)
• Worker manually positions 2 tips directly on cord with slight gap
• Press activated to force tips on, cord cut in gap

Rickrack Production

• Factory also makes rickrack: flat zigzag trim sewn onto clothing
• Rickrack braiding machines: 120 years old
• Each holds 13-73 bobbins of thread
• More bobbins used = wider rickrack

Multicolored Production Methods

• Two ways for multicolored rickrack/braided shoelace cord:
  • Mount different shades of solid color bobbins on braiding machine
  • Wind multicolored thread on each bobbin
• For multicolored knitted shoelace cord:
  • Mount different shades of solid color thread cones
  • Use multicolored thread on each cone

Shape & Size Variations

• Manufacturer uses different braiding/knitting machines
• Bobbin/comb variations: 8 to 73
• Even number bobbins = round shoelace
• Odd number bobbins = flat shoelace