An attachment for a sewing machine to provide simultaneous sewing and sealing of a seam comprises a reel for dispensing a strip of adhesive thermoplastic polymer between fabric members to be sewn. A plurality of heated driven rollers opposed to heated idler rollers having a continuous belt thereover collectively exert heat and pressure on the seam, melting the polymer strip so as to seal the seam. Thread having been treated with adhesive thermoplastic polymer may be employed to seal the punctures in the fabric made by the sewing machine's needle. The driven rollers are driven in synchronization with the operation of the sewing machine, and are engaged with and withdrawn from the seam responsive to operator command.

A fabric made of yarns interlooping with each other or passing through an inner layer at looping intervals. The fabric is embossed with a micro-pattern extending into the yarns or into a layer underneath the fabric. The micro-pattern contains a pre-defined pattern of a plurality of binding points attaching the yarns to the inner layer or to the added underlayer. This micro-pattern has an inter-point spacing between adjacent binding points that is less than the interlooping intervals. The fabric can also be embossed with a macro-pattern separate from and coarser than the micro-pattern. The macro-pattern establishes a desired aesthetic in the fabric, and the micro-pattern does not interfere with the desired aesthetic.

A fabric made of yarns interlooping with each other or passing through an inner layer at looping intervals. The fabric is embossed with a micro-pattern extending into the yarns or into a layer underneath the fabric. The micro-pattern contains a pre-defined pattern of a plurality of binding points attaching the yarns to the inner layer or to the added underlayer. This micro-pattern has an inter-point spacing between adjacent binding points that is less than the interlooping intervals. The fabric can also be embossed with a macro-pattern separate from and coarser than the micro-pattern. The macro-pattern establishes a desired aesthetic in the fabric, and the micro-pattern does not interfere with the desired aesthetic.

A shoe includes an upper body covering at least an instep of a foot. The upper body includes a main material formed of a first thread body made of a chemically-similar material. At least a part of the main material is an embroidered portion formed by embroidering and/or sewing with a second thread body made of a chemically-similar material having a melting point lower than a melting point of the chemically-similar material. At least a part of the embroidered portion is a solidified portion having a high hardness.