Smile Stripes
I have been a Jack Purcell wearer for years.
Not on the tennis court, but as casual shoes in the summer.
Jack's are classic tennis sneakers (pictured) that take their name from a Canadian championship tennis/badminton player who consulted the original manufacturer on the design.
Although I have been wearing them for years, I just learned that the curious little upward-bending line on the toepiece is called a “smile line” and it means something specific.
The backstory is that Jack Purcell was a generally affable person, always smiling, and this small design point remembers that characteristic about him.
おもしろい！
Although Jack Purcell died in 1991, you could say he still smiles every time someone wears his shoes.
More here …
http://www.tennis.com/gear/2016/11/say-cheese-modernity-smiles-jack-purcell/62338/
