Just over three years ago, Malachi Kurei was a high school student selling hand-painted gumboots through social media.

Now, at just 21, the Eastern Bay-raised entrepreneur has launched his own original gumboot brand,  MokoBandz, following years of design, development and determination.  

“We have just launched our boots, just before Christmas, after spending nine months perfecting our final design.”

MokoBandz gumboots are available online at mokobandz.com, with plans to stock the boots in retail stores from March or April. Mr Kurei has secured one commercial contract and has another in the pipeline.

“I’ve been working on this for so long it feels like everything is falling into place the way it’s supposed to,” he said.

Mr Kurei’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2022 when he was in Year 13 at Trident High School. After his father asked him to paint a design on a pair of gumboots, the idea quickly gained traction. He began selling Skellerup red-band gumboots decorated with his Māori designs via social media.

Since then, his vision has grown. Determined to create a product from the ground up, Mr Kurei spent two to three years developing his own gumboot brand.

“I built my first Māori gumboot in 2023, but I wasn’t happy with the quality,” he said. “You know when your vision just isn’t there.”

Despite pressure to rush to market and become the first Māori gumboot brand, Mr Kurei chose patience over speed.

“Quality was always my goal. I went back to square one,” he said. “I bought hundreds of different gumboots and kept going back to the drawing board. Then one blank black boot arrived, and I knew it would be the foundation for what we have now.

“I started working with a manufacturer and we did our sampling process, and we made a gumboot that was almost there. I spent six more months perfecting designs and then flew to China to meet my manufacturer.”

In China, he spent 10 days working directly with the manufacturer.

Authenticity and respect for Māori culture sit at the heart of the MokoBandz brand, which fuses traditional Māori artistry – kirituhi and mokotuhi – with contemporary craftsmanship.

“I wanted to build a brand based on morals.”

He said travelling to China allowed him to build genuine relationships and ensure ethical production standards were met.

“We talked about worker treatment and where the rubber was sourced from.”

Alongside his business ambitions, Mr Kurei is also chasing a professional rugby career. Now based in Palmerston North, he is part of the Manawatū rugby system after previously playing in the Bay of Plenty.

“My dream is to become a professional rugby player,” he said. “I played for Manawatū Development last year, and my goal is to play NPC this year for the Manawatū Turbos.”

He said rugby success often came down to timing and opportunity.

“It’s about being in front of the right people at the right time,” he said.

With his family now living in Western Australia, Mr Kurei has remained in New Zealand to pursue his rugby goals. He is visiting family in Ōpōtiki and will soon head to Australia for a short break before returning to Manawatu for the club season.

In the meantime, he continues to grow the MokoBandz brand.

“With rugby, you can have a career-ending injury tomorrow,” he said. “Having something to fall back on – and something that can help other people – is one of my biggest goals.”

Giving back, particularly to his family, is a key motivator.

“They’ve invested so much in me over the years,” he said.

“There aren’t many Māori brands in the gumboot space. Having Māori brands out there is a celebration for our people.”