The amazing story behind the quilt pattern on adidas basketball jerseys

In a small, remote, Black community in Alabama, the Quilters of Gee’s Bend (Claudia Jones Charley, Francesca DeNae Charley, Emma Jean Pettway, Sharon Pettway Williams, and Pleasant Pettway Scott) have been creating quilt masterpieces.

Known for their innovative quilting tradition since the 19th century, the quilters, bold patterns, and recycled materials, their quilts tell stories of community, resourcefulness, and cultural identity.

Garnering national acclaim, their work has been featured in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and appeared on U.S. postage stamps.

In celebration of Black History Month, adidas named the Quilters of Gee’s Bend as the first honorees of the Black Excellence (HBE) program, “standing as living proof of art’s power to reshape history.”

To honor their unparalleled contribution to culture, adidas HBE also released a short-form film exploring how their artistry, traditions, and ideas that transcend generations, directed by the acclaimed duo Rog & Bee Walker

Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI spoke with the Quilters about their tradition, working with HBCUs, and partnering with adidas.

Sharon Pettway Williams spoke about how the tradition of quilting has been passed down for generations in her family.

“My mother got it from her mother and I have four daughters that took after me, and I hope they keep this going,” Sharon said. “I learned how to sow from this by watching my mother and that's how I got going. And I love sewing. I just love it.”

Although she considers herself a late bloomer to quilting, Claudia Pettway Charlie believes in the importance of preserving the tradition of quilting.

“I was very late when I started quilting, but I wanted to make sure that quilting does not become a dying art. I decided that, you know, we gotta continue the legacy of culture and what the community is all about,” Claudia noted.

“So I started working with my mom, and she started showing me things here and there and I'm still in training. I always say that I'm still learning every day, but you have to continue the legacy of quality.

“I asked my mom about letting me piece together a quilt, and at that time, she thought I was too young, but I kept nagging her. One day, she decided to throw some scrap under the quilt and told me to get to work. I started by ripping the pieces apart and just putting them together.

When I thought I had made a quilt I would throw, I asked everyone what they thought. They told me it was beautiful but to me it was the ugliest quilt I had ever seen,” Emma Mooney Pettway laughed.

Claudia shared the significance of partnering with adidas and how the brand has impacted them and their community.

“We were telling our manager, LaKenzise Chanille Mayberry, that back in the day, a lot of people in Gee’s Bend didn't have shoes. They wore each other's shoes when they couldn't fit anymore, so a lot of them had bad feet,” Claudia said.

“To have a company like Adidas come into the community and give all Gee’s Bend quilters was amazing. We feel blessed to have adidas come in and support us in such a way like no one else has done before. We had over 60 pairs of shoes that Adidas gave. It’s a wonderful thing.”

“It’s a great partnership between Adidas and Gee’s Bend. So many parallels and things that I can think about. Like Miss Emma said, Yes, “We are Black excellence. We all stand on the same platform of excellence every day, and it's going to continue for generations to come,” Claudia added. “I can’t wait to see what’s coming in the future.”

Amplifying their partnership, adidas recently unveiled a limited-edition NCAA basketball jersey collection inspired by the Quilters of Gee’s Bend.

Currently available on adidas.com, a portion of the proceeds directly supports both the Quilters and adidas’ HBCU partners.

Also, adidas HBE also donated a community grant to Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders, the Quilters' non-profit organization, and the Quilters created five handcrafted 7ft x 7ft quilts for Alabama State, Alcorn State, Grambling State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Prairie View A&M.

Each quilt is woven from repurposed school and sports apparel. Sharon said she never thought her quilting would connect with the sports world and is excited that their storied tradition is gaining national recognition.

“I was so excited to work with adidas and HBCU,” Sharon said. “We never did anything like this before but we’re ready for it. I’m all dressed up in my green and white adidas tracksuit now. I appreciate adidas and I want to thank them for making this happen for us.”

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