Nike patents underwear with built-in leak protection
Nike has filed a patent for lower-body garments, such as shorts or leggings, that include built-in protection against liquid leaks. The design uses a layered structure in the crotch area, featuring a spacer fabric next to the skin and a moisture-barrier layer facing outward to contain any spills.
In the filing’s own words
A lower-body garment that has built-in leak protection. The built-in leak protection can be achieved through an integral gusset or an internal assembly that is positioned interior to an exterior layer that forms the lower-body garment. The internal assembly can include a front torso portion, a back torso portion, and a crotch portion. The crotch portion can include a spacer fabric layer configured to be positioned adjacent to a wearer’s body surface, and a moisture-barrier layer secured to the spacer fabric layer and configured to be face outward.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A lower-body garment comprising: a torso portion comprising a first leg opening and a second leg opening; and a crotch portion between the first leg opening and the second leg opening, wherein the crotch portion of the lower-body garment comprises a composite textile, a textile layer, and a moisture-barrier layer, wherein the moisture-barrier layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer film, wherein the composite textile comprises a spacer fabric positioned adjacent to a skin surface of a wearer when the lower-body garment is in an as-worn configuration, and wherein a durable water-repellant (DWR) treated bonding strip overlaps an edge of the spacer fabric to form a hem, and wherein at least a portion of the moisture-barrier layer is layered between the spacer fabric and the textile layer.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- LOWER-BODY GARMENT WITH LEAK PROTECTION FEATURES
- Publication number
- US20260262776A1
- Application number
- 19666949
- Filed
- May 4, 2026
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
A41D 31/10 Human necessitiesA41D 1/06 Human necessitiesA41B 9/001 Human necessitiesA41B 9/004 Human necessitiesA41B 9/12 Human necessitiesA41D 1/088 Human necessitiesMore from Nike in Clothing & sport
- Nike patents clothing that stiffens instantly to protect against impacts Sep 15, 2026
- Nike patents underwear with electric straps that adjust tightness Sep 17, 2026
- Nike patents fabric that tightens when it gets wet Oct 15, 2026
- Nike patents shoe that pumps fluid to heel for cushioning Sep 8, 2026
- Nike patents top with built-in pocket for breast pumps Oct 1, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.