Here’s a fun bit of trivia for sneaker fans out there; the Jack Purcell, which is easily the most elegant shoe in the Converse stable, didn’t even start life as a Converse at all. In fact, B.F. Goodrich built it in the 1930s with badminton world champion Jack Purcell, whose iconic grin inspired the signature “smile” across the toe.
Converse scooped up the rights in 1972, and now it’s giving the silhouette its most ambitious rebuild yet with the Converse First String Jack Purcell.
The Smiler Gets Serious
First String is Converse’s pinnacle craft program, the same line that handed the Chuck Taylor a luxury makeover last year. And now the Jack Purcell arguably gets an even more thorough treatment.
Naturally, canvas doesn’t make the cut on the luxe version. Instead, a premium leather upper (in White or Mountain Green) sits on a revised last with a wider forefoot, while a Vibram outsole takes over where plain rubber used to live. The sockliner packs CX foam and Nike Air cushioning.
Fittingly, the model is having a court moment, too. Jannik Sinner debuted a custom one-of-one pair after winning this year’s Italian Open.
Archival Down to the Aglets
The heel’s license plate wears the 1970s JP script and wedge logo, the upper stitching traces the bigger arches of mid-’70s models, and the collar rises slightly like the versions worn through the ’80s.
Even the toe cap shrinks to an early-’80s profile, with vent eyelets sunken into the foxing just like back then. Vintage-style laces with metal aglets, beveled eyelets, thicker midsole tape, and a subtly reshaped rubber smile inlay round out the affair.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Converse
Model: First String Jack Purcell
Upper: Premium leather
Colorways: White, Mountain Green
Outsole: Vibram rubber
Cushioning: CX foam + Nike Air sockliner
Notable Details: ’70s-era heel license plate, sunken vent eyelets, metal-aglet laces
Release Date: September 3, 2026
Price: $250
Pricing & Availability
The First String Jack Purcell is available now for $250, though only through select retail partners like Kith rather than Converse’s own webshop. The brand has also confirmed additional styles are coming later this year, so head over to Converse’s website for the full stockist list.
Recap
Converse First String Jack Purcell
Converse’s pinnacle craft line rebuilds the 90-year-old Jack Purcell in premium leather, complete with a Vibram outsole and a full sweep of ’70s archival details.
