Customer Reviews Converse Jack Purcell® CP Canvas Low Top

Old School Tennies (Mine are white) This is what I wore almost exclusively, in the 60's and 70's, from elementary school through senior high. My purchase was an attempt to re-live some of that time. The shoes have changed, predictably. I suppose for the better - lining, support, etc. I wish they came in widths. I've chosen too narrow to wear with socks in order to avoid excessive length. This will give me appearance more casual than real. Perhaps for the better?

Argh, still too small - My actual shoe size is 7.5 but my feet are really wide. I wear a size 9 Chuck Taylor, but a size 40 (7.5) Birkenstock is too big (and a size 39 is almost too small but I hope they break in a little more) so this tells me that shoe size numbers are more or less imaginary. Last year I got size 8.5 of this shoe and realized too late to return them that they were too small unless I wear really thin socks. So I ordered a size 9 pair of JP and inexplicably these felt even smaller than the 8.5, so I am returning them and getting another (sigh) pair of Chucks. Oh and like Zappos needs more plugs, but the two pairs of shoes I ordered yesterday came overnight from KY to MA (yay!) and the JPs are going back tonight thanks to free returns.

Good looks, bad insoles - These shoes look good with anything. The only problem is that the updated CP version has a very thick insole. The rest of the shoe has the same dimensions as the original, though, so there is less foot room. The result was pinched toes. I had to remove the insole and replace it with a thinner one from a pair of running shoes. After that they were great. VERY fast delivery.

Converse's Jack Purcell - The new insole makes it so the shoe runs 1/2 size too small. I had to remove the insole and put in thinner ones. Great shoe but make sure you get it a 1/2 size bigger than what you're used to.

Nice looking, not so comfortable - I know most would disagree, but I found these less comfortable than the classic Converse. Also the shoelaces are way too long and require double knots for me. 'Tis a sad day.

Room for improvement. These shoes look great with jeans, chinos, and shorts but are not very comfortable. I can tolerate them for a few hours, but I would not want to walk all day in them. I wish the makers of these retro and fashion sneakers would make them as comfortable as real athletic sneakers.

Jack Purcell hurts!! These shoes are cute, but must be the most miserably uncomfortable shoes in the world!!! The only other shoes I have that hurt this much to wear have five inch stiletto heels, those are worth the pain, these just aren't.

Toe issues - I love the look of Converse shoes, but I’m having the same issue with these that I did with my All-Stars-- horrible pinching where my pinky toes meet the foot. After almost ten years my All-Stars are almost comfortable, but the pinch in these seems worse. I do have wide feet, but the rest of the shoe seems passably comfortable. I may have to attempt some stretching because the shoes are so cute...

Looks nice, at least - They felt about 1/2 size too small at first but I got used to that. However the fabric inside of both heels ripped out within a few weeks, exposing the rubber inner skin. I wore them walking this morning and now I have a nice big blister on my left heel. Grrr. They look better than Chucks but that's what I'm ordering again even though Chucks are basically disposable after six months, they last longer than these did.

Great shoe - true to size but a bit narrow in the toe area. Also, it slips in the heel. I had bought a pair before that I was happy with but have had a little trouble breaking these in. They look great though!

Some Support Jack!! Looks great, but I found that this shoe gets very uncomfortable after a while. No arch support.

I ordered these because I wanted a pair of Converse and the Chuck Taylor is too played out. These are more stylish and more for grown-ups... I couldn't find any stores that carry the Jack Purcell’s, they all only had the Chuck Taylors. So I tried the Chucks on and I needed a size 7.5 (which is about .5 to 1 size smaller than my other shoes)... I then ordered the JPs 7.5, and they felt a bit tighter than the CTs. I love how they look, but they are really uncomfortable. So they will be going back to Zappos. I will hold out for the leather version to be on sale to give Jack Purcell’s another try. Again they look great, but your feet WILL hurt BADLY when you break them in. (I picked up a pair of the leather Chuck Taylor at Off 5th and they're great, so I'm hoping the Jack Purcell leather ones will be as soft too.)

JPs - I got these shoes from Nordstroms last spring. They were brown with pink detailing. Super cute BUT, unlike my Chucks they've ripped where the canvas meets the heel part of the shoe. And this happend a couple of months ago so they really didn't last that long.

Sneakers - I was really looking for something like a Sperry boat shoe in white. These will work o.k. for work.

Cute but not comfortable - If you're going to wear these shoes for a short amount of time, they're great. I recently wore them on a shopping trip to San Francisco and paid for it with blisters. These are not walking shoes, they are for looks only.

These are not the same shoes that they used to be. The quality has gone down the toilet, yet the price is still the same. Converse is sacrificing quality for profit and it's reallllllllly sad. The soft, plushy, insole is gone and has been replaced by canvas. There is no stitched JP label on the tongue and the label on the back of the shoe is different, too. These used to be one of my favorite styles but now they look and feel like cheap Chinese knock-offs of JPs. So disappointed that I didn't keep them and will be moving on to a different shoe. Converse, you disappoint me!! :(

Had to cut a piece of the stitching inside which was digging into the top of my foot. The arch support is less than moderate. On top of that I just purchased them last week and now see they are 25% off. Not happy!!

I understand the Purcell's aren't what they used to be, but I was disappointed in the quality of the materials. Even while wearing these with socks I have huge blisters on my back heel. The material feels like synthetic sand paper. I understand some shoes need breaking in, but I've worn Chuck Taylors for years and never had such a problem. I guess this is another echo of the oft-refrained chant that these "aren't what they used to be."

I desperately want to like these classic kicks a lot more than I do. The problem is that the toe box is just way to narrow. I normally wear a 10.5 - 11, and even with the 11, my toesies just feel super claustrophobic in these things. Am going to try an 11.5 to see if that works, as long as I don't end up with a shoe that feels ridiculously oversize.

I'm not going to rehash what many of the critical reviews have said other than say that I agree 100%. Perhaps it's happened since Nike bought Converse--either way this shoe has lost a lot of what made it my go-to every Summer. I've switched from my biennial white Jack Purcell purchase to the Tretorn Nylite Plus (https://www.zappos.com/p/tretorn-nylite-plus-white-white-white/product/8792947/color/5078) and I haven't looked back. They have everything that Jack Purcells have lost that made them a great sockless Summer sneaker (cushy insole / soft, terrycloth liner / cushioned tongue) and are a much more comfortable and less-chintzy sneaker. They're not less expensive and have a bit of a different look, but at least I feel like I'm buying shoes that aren't constantly cutting corners.

These Jack Purcells no longer have the nice padded insert. Rather the plan Converse insert which is not removable. These are not worth the money at all without the nice foot padding. Very much regretting this purchase...

The material quality is lacking compared to my pervious pair. After wearing for only a few months the rubber is separating on the sides. Very disappointing since these cost a bit more. should have just gotten the cheaper Cons.

Major style downgrade from previous version. The insoles are of lower quality, and shoe appearance has changed to be more like a modified All-Star than a unique Jack Purcell. Been wearing Jack Purcells for a number of years, but this may be my last pair.

I've been buying these Jack Purcells for years and the quality of the most recent pair I've bought is horrendous. They've fallen apart after just three months of wear. The sole has dislodged from the right shoe, and the rubber has ripped from the sides. I thought this might be an isolated experience, but the other reviews here about the sudden poor quality suggests otherwise.

The plastic outsole is very squeaky and feels cheap. Half the time it feels/sounds like I have whoopie cushions under my feet. It might be that during different times of the day my feet have expanded/compressed and sometimes the squeak will go away and it must have been at one of these points when I decided to keep them. Should have returned them. The squeak will probably prevent me from ever wearing them out.