When Converse custom-made a one-of-one pair of Jack Purcells for Jannik Sinner in the Nike/Converse Montebelluna, Italy, factory, they had no idea if Sinner would even wear the gifted shoes. He did, slipping them on for the trophy celebration after winning the Rome Masters event on May 17, showcasing the latest for tennis-inspired off-court footwear fashion. 

Sinner’s handmade “First String” Jack Purcells feature the world No. 1’s signature logo, Italian flag detailing, and, of course, the iconic Jack Purcell “smile” that adorns the front of the toe. The white shoes include a “Made in Italy” tag on the inside and feature the green and red of the Italian flag—the triple impact of Sinner’s home country, where the tournament was held, and where the shoes were crafted—on the heels, with the left shoe featuring a vertical green stripe with his logo embedded within and the right shoe having a red stripe with the same logo treatment. 

Alex Restivo, Converse’s product director of special projects, says that every detail is important in a one-of-one creation, starting with the silhouette. “Jack Purcell was known for his grace, balance, and quiet confidence,” Restivo says. “We saw a natural connection to who Jannik is, on and off the court, and that made this the right shoe for him.” 

The made-in-Italy construction was nonnegotiable. “Italy sets the standard for craft, and we have an amazing team and factory in Montebelluna,” Restivo says. “We wanted this shoe to feel like it belonged to Jannik and to that moment of him winning the Italian Open.” 

The Jack Purcell is the oldest signature tennis shoe, originally crafted when Canadian badminton player Jack Purcell and the B.F. Goodrich Company of Canada partnered in 1935. The shoe quickly made its way to tennis, and Stan Smith once told me that in the 1960s he remembers players were wearing either Converse or Jack Purcells. They became one and the same as Converse acquired the rubber company’s athletic shoe line in the 1970s. The Jack Purcell eventually transitioned into a lifestyle sneaker, and after Nike acquired Converse in 2003, they introduced a variety of styles over the years. 

The signature style mark on the Jack Purcell has always been the “smile,” an indention in the toe’s rubber guard mimicking the curve of a smile. 

Restivo says the First String banner, which Converse recently unveiled via the Chuck Taylor, features a Vibram outsole, a Nike Air sockliner, and improved cushioning. “The Jack Purcell is one of the most important silhouettes in our archive,” Restivo says, “and Jannik wearing it at the Italian Open felt like the right moment to show the world that this shoe is back.”