Adidas Originals is taking a different approach to local collaborations. The brand just launched “Benji + Lamia x adidas Originals,” its first Turkish-designed collection to drop globally, created by husband-and-wife design duo Bünyamin “Benji” Aydın and Lamia Al-Otaishan Aydin — the minds behind Istanbul-based brand Les Benjamins.
The collection centers on two sneakers: the Tokyo and Japan HI silhouettes, each reimagined through distinct cultural lenses that go deeper than surface-level prints.
Bünyamin Aydin’s Tokyo design, titled “SOFT ARMOR,” pulls from Anatolian carpet weaving and kilim motifs, blending traditional Turkish craftsmanship with futuristic metallic and silver details.
Speaking about the collection, which was inspired by both his German and Turkish heritage, Bünyamin says: “I designed the adidas Tokyo sneaker titled ‘SOFT ARMOR’ under my BENJI signature to honor my Dadaş grandfather and my grandmother. This design tells the story of the Rhine River in Neuss, where I was born, and the Bosphorus, where I live today. The mirror-like reflection of Frank Gehry’s building in Düsseldorf is a metaphor for me: to reflect is to understand one another.”
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Take a closer look at the textures, and you’ll see the soul of Anatolia. The patterns weave a “migration story,” utilizing waterway motifs to represent the train journeys of guest workers traveling from Istanbul to Munich. It’s a sneaker that functions as a protective shield, featuring “Tree of Life” symbols and evil-eye talismans. It’s a heritage you can wear on the asphalt.
Lamia Al-Otaishan Aydin’s Japan HI draws from Al Sadu weaving, a Bedouin tradition rooted in Arab culture and the labor of nomadic women. The design translates the desert’s natural color palette through a contemporary lens, carrying forward cultural memory passed down across generations. She calls it “heritage in motion,” where tradition evolves rather than stays static.
“This collaboration is very special to me, not only because it is with adidas, but also because it is the first personal project I have realized with complete creative freedom,” says Lamia. “It allows me to translate my identity into a design language and share it with the world.”
Adidas Türkiye CEO Hakan Atalay positioned the launch as strategically significant. “Being our first local collection born in Türkiye and launched globally places this project in a particularly special and strategic position for our brand,” he noted, emphasizing the blend of craftsmanship, storytelling, and contemporary aesthetics.
The collection launched January 23 across adidas Türkiye’s online channels and stores, as well as all Les Benjamins platforms. It hits adidas Dubai and adidas Saudi Arabia on February 7, 2026.
