A double-knit fabric containing a first knit layer, a second knit layer, and a plurality of stuffer yarns. The stuffer yarns are located between the first knit layer and the second knit layer. The double-knit fabric contains a plurality of anchored regions and a plurality of detached regions. In the anchored regions, the first and second fabric layers are knitted together and in the detached regions the first and second fabric layers are unattached. The average peak distance between the first and second fabric layers in the detached regions is at least about 3 mm and the double-knit fabric has between about 10 and 30 detached regions per square inch. The anchored regions contain at least two knit stitches in at least one direction and the anchored regions have a width of at least about 1 mm.

A brace may include a knit portion with an ankle strap, a rigid shank on a bottom portion of the brace configured to cover at least an arch portion of the foot, a pad positioned below a heel of the foot, a webbing support system extending from the lateral extensor digitorum longus tendon around the peroneus longus retinaculum tendon, under the bottom of the foot to support the plantar tendon and up the arch and medial side of the foot to the extensor hallucis longus tendon, a lacing system threaded through a portion of the webbing support system at the top medial portion of the foot, and a tightening system that applies a pulling force on the lacing system to cinch the webbing support system.

Aspects herein are directed to a woven, breathable textile. The textile comprises a first woven zone and a second woven zone, where the first and second woven zones are integrally woven such that a particular warp yarn extends through both the first woven zone and the second woven zone of the textile. The first woven zone comprises a first woven layer and a second woven layer with a space or void formed between the first and second woven layers. The second woven zone comprises a single woven layer comprising a plurality of apertures formed through the weaving process, where each aperture is located at the center of a repeating pattern of interlacings.

Provided is a three-dimensional elastic circular knitted fabric combining light weight, heat retention, stretchability, and press shrinkage resistance. This three-dimensional elastic circular knitted fabric is obtained by connecting two front/back ground structures with a connecting yarn of only a tuck structure, wherein the three-dimensional elastic circular knitted fabric is characterized in that: the two front/back ground structures is solely constituted by non-elastic fiber; the connecting yarn is solely constituted by elastic fiber; the elastic fiber is interwoven at 2-15 couses/1 repeat; the loop density of the knitted fabric is 40-130 courses/inch, and 35-80 wells/inch; the filling rate is 5.0-25.0%; the thermal retention rate is 20.0% or higher; and the rate of elongation at a constant 22.1-N load is 50-200% in the warp direction and 150-300% in the weft direction.

Aspects herein are directed to a composite nonwoven textile that includes non-linear entangled seams and method and systems for producing the same. The composite nonwoven textile includes at least a first nonwoven layer, a second layer, and a fill material positioned between the first nonwoven layer and the second layer. When the composite nonwoven textile is formed into a garment, the regions between the non-linear entangled seams may help store and retain heat to provide insulation, and the non-linear entangled seams may help prevent shifting or drift of the fill material.

Aspects herein are directed to a composite nonwoven textile that includes non-linear entangled seams and method and systems for producing the same. The composite nonwoven textile includes at least a first nonwoven layer, a second layer, and a fill material positioned between the first nonwoven layer and the second layer. When the composite nonwoven textile is formed into a garment, the regions between the non-linear entangled seams may help store and retain heat to provide insulation, and the non-linear entangled seams may help prevent shifting or drift of the fill material.

A process for making a tubular textile article destined to represent an upper for footwear comprising programming a textile machine defining a tubular textile article to be made, extending longitudinally in a seamless way starting from a first open end and consisting of a plurality of stitch rows in succession. The process further includes knitting, in accordance with the programming step, by making the first end, belonging to a first fabric of the textile article, destined to represent a tip end of an upper; making a tip portion of the first fabric, destined to represent a portion of the upper enclosing the toe; making a tab, belonging to the first fabric and destined to represent a portion of the upper enclosing or covering at least one portion of instep; making a middle portion of the first fabric, destined to represent a portion of the upper enclosing at least part of the sole and sides of the foot, wherein the middle portion has a longitudinal opening which is located on at least one portion of the instep, and two lateral margins on the sides of the longitudinal opening; and making an end portion of the first fabric destined to represent a portion of the upper enclosing the foot heel. The tab and the longitudinal opening of the middle portion both have a simultaneous longitudinal development, in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal development of the upper; the knitting step entirely produces the unitary, single-piece tubular textile article; the steps are performed in succession such that processing is never interrupted between each step and the following one.

A method for providing intermediate manufactures for production of manufactures such as an inshoe, footlet, no-show sock, shoes or the like with double thickness, with a circular hosiery knitting machine and an intermediate manufacture obtained with the method. The method has the particularity that it comprises at least the following steps: a step of providing a first tubular portion of knitted fabric; a casting-off step, in which a portion of knitted fabric is provided by moving to knit a group of contiguous needles at the at least one feed; a casting-on step, in which a portion of knitted fabric is provided by moving to knit a group of contiguous needles at the at least one feed; a step of providing a second tubular portion of knitted fabric by actuating the needle cylinder with a continuous rotary motion about its own axis in one direction of rotation.

An article of fabric of a generally tubular shape body having an inner skin-facing surface with a generally symmetric inner circumference and an outer-facing surface having a generally non-symmetric outer circumference.

A process for manufacturing a tubular knitted item (1) with intarsia design, comprising the steps of: programming a circular weft knitting machine for intarsia design by defining a tubular intarsia knitted item (1) to be manufactured, extending longitudinally between a first end (2) and a second end (3) and consisting of a plurality of knitted courses following one another;
wherein the programming step comprises the steps of: defining a turning position (4), which divides the tubular item into a first fabric (5) and a second fabric (6), wherein the tubular item is configured for being manipulated so as to be at least partially turned over itself, by folding it in the turning position so that the second fabric overlaps the first fabric in order to obtain a double fabric item; defining at least one first area (10) of the first fabric, delimited by a needle section and by a number of successive courses of the area, and having a desired shape; defining at least one first counter-area (20) of the second fabric, delimited by a needle section and by a number of successive courses of the area, in which the first counter-area has a respective shape; producing intarsia knitted fabric so as to manufacture the tubular knitted item according to the programming step; wherein the first area (10) is manufactured according to a first knitted structure and the first counter-area (20) is manufactured according to a second knitted structure.