EXHIBIT 5



                                 Converse Inc.
                                One Fordham Road
                       North Reading, Massachusetts 01864



August 27, 1998


Converse Inc.
One Fordham Road
North Reading, Massachusetts 01864

     RE:  CONVERSE INC. REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am employed as General Counsel of Converse Inc., a Delaware corporation
("Converse" or the "Company"), and as such I, and attorneys working for me, have
acted on behalf of Converse as counsel in connection with the preparation of the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement"), which
Converse proposes to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The
Registration Statement relates to the registration under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of 1,500,000 shares of the Company's
common stock, without par value (the "Shares").  The Shares are to be issued by
the Company (i) upon exercise of certain stock options, and pursuant to awards
of restricted stock, granted, or to be granted, to certain employees or
consultants of Converse and its subsidiaries pursuant to the Converse Inc. 1994
Stock Option Plan, as amended and restated as of February 25, 1998 (the "1994
Plan") and (ii) upon purchase of shares by employees pursuant to the Converse
Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Employee Stock Purchase Plan").

     This opinion is rendered in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)
(5) of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     I, or such attorneys working for me, have examined or considered such
matters of law and fact and such corporate records, certificates and other
documents as I, or they, have deemed necessary.  In the course of such
examination, I, and such attorneys working for me, have assumed the genuineness
of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted as originals and
the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted as certified,
photostatic or conformed copies.  I have relied, as to certain legal matters, on
the advice of such attorneys working for me who are more familiar with such
matters.

     Based on and subject to the foregoing and the qualifications set forth
below, I am of the opinion that upon the issuance, delivery and, if applicable,
payment for the Shares under the terms of the 1994 Plan and the Employee Stock
Purchase Plan, as applicable, the Shares will be duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 
Converse Inc.
August 27, 1998
Page 2

     I am admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I
express no opinion as to the laws of any other jurisdiction other than the
Delaware General Corporation Law.  In that connection, you should be aware that
I am not admitted to the Bar of the State of Delaware and am not an expert in
the law of such jurisdiction.  Accordingly, such opinions concerning the
Delaware General Corporation Law are based upon my review of the Delaware
General Corporation Law and my reasonable (although not necessarily complete)
familiarity with the Delaware General Corporation Law as a result of my prior
involvement in transactions involving such Law.

     I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-8
being filed by the Company.  In giving such consent, I do not thereby admit that
I am acting within the category of persons whose consent is required under
Section 7 of the Securities Act or the regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission thereunder.


                                 Very truly yours,



                                 /s/ Jack A. Green
                                 ------------------
                                 Jack A. Green