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.