We saw the first hint of the return of the Converse Jack Purcell when Jannik Sinner slipped on a custom one-of-one pair to receive his trophy in Rome. Now we know the details of what’s coming next and, well, it’s plenty. And it should make fans of the Jack Purcell smile. 

Converse announced the Sept. 8, 2026, release of the First String Jack Purcell, a premium interpretation of the classic 1935-created sneaker that became a popular choice on the professional tennis courts, a shoe with a signature “smile” on the toe. It’s only the second time Converse has given First String treatment to a shoe, after giving the moniker to First String Chuck Taylor in 2025. After September, though, we may see even more iterations of the Jack Purcell. 

“The Jack Purcell is one of the most important silhouettes in our archive,” says Alex Restivo, product director of special projects for Converse. To show fans that importance, Converse dipped into the archives on the First String. Originally created as a signature badminton shoe in 1935 by Canadian world champion Jack Purcell, tennis players soon adopted the model as it captured key market share through the 1960s as a performance tennis shoe, also worn by golfers and sailors. Converse bought the rights to the shoe crafted by the B.F. Goodrich Company of Canada in 1972 and reissued it multiple times over the decades. Now, though, comes a complete rethinking of the model as the Converse First String Jack Purcell.

The new model had Converse using versions from the 1970s and 1980s as the muse. With that we get a new signature smile built into the toe cap—Purcell’s nickname was “the smiler,” so that was his personal touch from 1935 onward—more in line from the early 1980s. Other pieces taken from the past include a higher collar, a wider heel stay with updated stitching details, sunken vent eyelets, the design of the license plate on the heel, and additional stitching patterns. New for the premium experience is a fresh last to accommodate a wider foot, a Vibram outsole, premium leather uppers, and Nike foam and air technology for comfort. The model debuts in a white version with a mountain green option. 

“We are really excited about the future of the Jack Purcell,” Restivo says. “It is an amazing shoe, and we are excited to bring it into the court world and excited to see what’s coming next.”