A knit textile that includes a plurality of yarn that is knitted together to form the knit textile, and the knit textile defines an upper of an article of footwear. A pair of fused regions are formed along the upper, and the plurality of yarn knitted together to form the knit textile is fused to a predefined extent at the pair of fused regions. The article of footwear includes a midsole coupled to the knit textile of the upper such that the midsole is positioned adjacent to the pair of fused regions, and an outsole coupled to the midsole on an opposite side of the knit textile such that the outsole is separated from the pair of fused regions by the midsole.

A non-woven textile may be formed from a plurality of thermoplastic polymer filaments. The non-woven textile may have a first region and a second region, with the filaments of the first region being fused to a greater degree than the filaments of the second region. A variety of products, including apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, footwear), may incorporate the non-woven textile. In some of these products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another textile element to form a seam. More particularly, an edge area of the non-woven textile may be heatbonded with an edge area of the other textile element at the seam. In other products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another component, whether a textile or a non-textile.

A system for automated manufacturing of apparel that includes a fabric dispenser operable to dispense a first web of fabric and a second web of fabric, the first web of fabric forming a front of an apparel and the second web of fabric forming a back of the apparel. The system includes an adhesive dispenser configured to apply discrete non-contiguous adhesive masses to the first web of fabric. The system includes one or more presses operable to join the first web and the second web along the side seams and shoulder seams of the apparel. The system further includes a cutting tool operable to make partial cuts to the first web of fabric along lines corresponding to a neck hole, bottom hem, and arm holes of the apparel located on the first web of fabric, the cutting tool further configured to cut the apparel out of a joined first web and second web of fabric by cutting along the side seams of the first web of fabric and the second web of fabric and cutting the bottom hem, the neck hole, and the arm holes on the second web of fabric.

A non-woven textile may be formed from a plurality of thermoplastic polymer filaments. The non-woven textile may have a first region and a second region, with the filaments of the first region being fused to a greater degree than the filaments of the second region. A variety of products, including apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, footwear), may incorporate the non-woven textile. In some of these products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another textile element to form a seam. More particularly, an edge area of the non-woven textile may be heatbonded with an edge area of the other textile element at the seam. In other products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another component, whether a textile or a non-textile.

A system for automated manufacturing of apparel that includes a fabric dispenser operable to dispense fabric. The system includes an adhesive dispenser configured to apply discrete non-contiguous adhesive masses to a first portion of the fabric. The discrete non-contiguous adhesive masses are deposited along a trajectory corresponding to seams of a first part of an apparel. The system includes one or more presses operable to join the first part of the apparel and a second part of the apparel along the seams. The system includes an energy source distinct from the one or more presses, wherein the energy source provides energy to cure the discrete non-contiguous adhesive masses. The system further includes a cutting tool operable to make cuts to the fabric along lines corresponding to features of the apparel.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

A knitted or woven component including an upper of an article of footwear, the upper including a knitted textile that is knitted together via a plurality of yarn such that the plurality of knitted yarn at least partially forms the knitted component. The article of footwear includes a midsole coupled to the knitted textile of the upper such that the midsole is positioned adjacent to the plurality of knitted yarn that at least partially forms the knitted component of the article of footwear, and an outsole coupled to the midsole on an opposite side of the knitted textile of the upper such that the outsole is separated from the plurality of knitted yarn that at least partially forms the knitted component of the article of footwear by the midsole disposed therebetween.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

A method of manufacturing arch support socks according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an operation (a) of preparing a resin solution by mixing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) powder and dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) liquid resin, an operation (b) of adding a heat stabilizer to the resin solution and stirring the resin solution, an operation (c) of removing impurities of the resin solution through sieving, a de-foaming operation (d) of removing bubbles in the resin solution in a vacuum state, an operation (e) of filling the de-foamed resin solution in a molding mold, an operation (f) of heating the molding mold, and an operation (g) of adhering an anti-slip part separated from the molding mold to an arch area of a sock bottom.