Old Sneakers (since 1935) - B. F. Goodrich (now Converse) Jack Purcell


Black Jack Purcell canvas sneakerChuck Taylor was an athlete of the 1920's with enough fame to get a namesake shoe from Converse. Jack Purcell was an athlete of the 1930's, and he also got the same honor from B. F. Goodrich.


Blue Jack Purcell canvas sneakerB. F. Goodrich, if you remember your Baby Boomer advertising, was the tire company without the blimp. Now, they've quit making tires. They have even dropped the "B.F." from their name. (There are still BFGoodrich tires, but they're not made by the Goodrich Corporation.) What was left of Goodrich was later acquired by United Technologies. In the early 1970's, B. F. Goodrich left the sneaker market, and Converse acquired the rights to make the Jack Purcell sneaker.


White Jack Purcell canvas sneakerOne of the biggest Jack Purcell questions: "What did Jack Purcell play?" On first guess, many would say tennis. Wrong answer! Jack Purcell earned his fame playing badminton.


Jack Purcell sneaker in white glove leatherAnother comment about the Jack Purcell shoe: Converse calls the blue rubber that shows around the front the "Smile," along with a unique light blue sole. To me, when you're looking down at a pair of Jack Purcell sneakers on your feet, they look more like a "Frown."


Jack Purcell sneaker ad from the early 1970's (shows canvas and leather versions)This is a Jack Purcell advertisement, back when B. F. Goodrich produced the shoe.



 Back to the top of Charlie's Sneaker Pages!

Last Updated: 20 July 2017


Search for more shoes:

Click here to send E-mail to Charlie.


Charlie's Sneaker Pages copyright 1995-2024 by Charles L. Perrin.

READERS PLEASE NOTE: Names of athletic shoe manufacturers, shoe styles, and technologies may be trademarked by the manufacturers. Charlie's Sneaker Pages uses these names solely to describe the shoes with the same familiar nomenclature used by the manufacturer and recognized by the reader.