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Jack Purcell 1st In Class - Ox

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
I was intruigued by these shoes when they were posted in the thread here: Jack Purcells by Converse. What a shame. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/jack-purcells-by-converse-what-a-shame.349187/page-2#post-10298231

Supposed to be here Friday. I’ll post my thoughts on them when I Get A chance to wear them.

Initially what intrigued me was the simplistic design. Just something about them. IDK.




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I used to play tennis in them.
There were two soles.
The sole with no tread was for clay courts and the herringbone sole was for hard courts. On hard courts they lasted only two weeks tops.
Lots of fond memories in them.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
I order 2 pair of Allen Edmonds a few minutes ago. Somehow I’m more excited about the arrival of these!
 
Classic. I love them. Did the original, vintage ones come in black as well as white (or beige)?

I did not know that the vintage came with herringbone soles as well as smooth ones. Interesting.

I was just "working on" my semi-vintage pair. (Actually a topic of another thread, but I had read some on-line posting elsewhere that said that one should be sure to have their white sneakers pristinely clean, and I took a shot at that.) One thing I noticed is that the cloth part seems distinctly light beige, not at all brilliant white. I wonder if they got that way over time or whether they have been that way from the beginning. The rubber parts scrub up to be very white.

In any event, an absolutely classic shoe.
 
Classic. I love them. Did the original, vintage ones come in black as well as white (or beige)?

I did not know that the vintage came with herringbone soles as well as smooth ones. Interesting.

I was just "working on" my semi-vintage pair. (Actually a topic of another thread, but I had read some on-line posting elsewhere that said that one should be sure to have their white sneakers pristinely clean, and I took a shot at that.) One thing I noticed is that the cloth part seems distinctly light beige, not at all brilliant white. I wonder if they got that way over time or whether they have been that way from the beginning. The rubber parts scrub up to be very white.

In any event, an absolutely classic shoe.

No. They were white tennis shoes. ( intended for tennis) Colors came later.
The soles were blown rubber.
This made them lighter and more flexible than the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars. Ironically, the basketball soles were more durable.
 
I wore Jack Purcells along with Taylor Cons back in the entire sixties to early seventies. When Asics with their Tigers were introduced, along with the Nike Waffle trainers, I converted.
 
I read somewhere that Jack Purcells were originally designed for badminton. But I sure associate them with real clay court tennis--and James Dean, if I recall accurately.

Good point re white tennis shoes. It is hard to remember the days when pure white clothing was expected/required on a tennis court, but I remember.

I had not known about the blown, rather than injected, rubber. Makes sense.

Ironically, the basketball soles were more durable.

I hear you "ironically," if one were going to play on a hard court tennis court back in the day. My public high school's tennis courts when I was there, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Jack Purcells were popular, were made of standard parking lot asphalt with center "nets" made of standard chainlink fencing, and no fence along the back on one of the sides, so that a missed ball went probably 50 yards back to the school building itself.

I think the school board was communicating to us that there was no use in any of us learning to play tennis. There were not going to be any country clubs in any of our futures. And "not to let a strong back go to waste!" The football facilities were fine!
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Surprisingly comfortable straight out of the box. Comfortable With or without socks too.

Came complete with a scuff mark already.

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cleanshaved

I’m stumped
Good to hear your first adventure into shoes online turned out well.
Is it still showing as processing on their site. I've had a few vendors not update that when they have actually shipped it.
 
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