12 Pentagons

12 Pentagons is a football design studio founded by Jon-Paul Wheatley, aka @jonpaulsballs. Known for creating footballs for Adidas, FIFA, and Burberry, Jon-Paul launched 12P as an R&D lab to bring his experimental designs to life. The first drop, The Original 92, sold out in just 4.5 hours. The story started during lockdown in St. Louis, when Jon-Paul hand-stitched his first ball. It wasn’t perfect, but he was hooked. He kept making them, each one better than the last, and began sharing the process online. Millions watched. People started asking if the balls were for sale. That question sparked 12 Pentagons. Mass production couldn’t accommodate the level of detail and experimentation in Jon-Paul’s designs. So he and his wife, Allison, created a new model: small-batch, limited-edition drops. They self-funded the launch in 2023, and soon after received an Arch Grant to help bring the concept to life. Here’s how it works: @jonpaulsballs serves as the design lab, where experimental balls are shared with the world. If a concept resonates, it “graduates” and becomes available through a limited 12 Pentagons release. Not every ball makes it. Footballs pending approval.