There are many quality heels in the fashion market that might look great in a show, but will make you want to hurl after just a few hours of walking. For years, women have been following the unwritten dictates of beauty: that it must hurt. But Malaysia’s two young visionary entrepreneurs have officially broken that stereotype.
Meet the Tai Sisters, Esther Tai Shen Hui and Amy Tai Shuh Yuk. They are the bright minds behind the homegrown, fast-growing handcrafted footwear brand Machino, which has become a retail powerhouse in the region.
Their impactful journey culminated in a prestigious achievement: being named among the esteemed Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2026 in the Retail & E-commerce space. After being chosen from almost 4,000 nominations worldwide, their accolade has thrown a spotlight on the fashion of Southeast Asia. This is the inspiring tale of how the Tai Sisters started their own successful enterprise, revolutionized women’s style of comfort and made it into the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
From Pandemic Layoffs to Fashion Innovators
The Machino origin story is proof of resilience and how to leverage crisis for opportunity. As the global pandemic mandated severe economic lockdowns in March 2020, fresh graduates were entering a job market which was as frightfully bleak as ever.
Graduates from Monash University Malaysia, Esther (marketing) and younger sister Amy (marketing) were set in a rut and were left with minimal prospects for their future careers. All while the economy was still down, the “sole-sisters” chose to pursue their lifelong love affair with fashionable footwear for a legal enterprise.
The RM100,000 loan was provided by their supportive parents who believed in their idea and they set out to find a solution to a universal fashion problem: to create a pair of high heels, which are really comfortable to wear throughout the day.
The Recipe Behind Machino’s Explosive Success
To be a high-flyer in the fashion start-up category, it’s absolutely essential to have a very special value proposition in a highly competitive global market. The founders of Machino did this by relying on three strong pillars of their business: absolute comfort, family experience and local heritage.
1. Breaking the “Beauty Is Pain” Stereotype
What makes every set of Machino shoes (block heels or everyday flats) special, is their ultra-thick and strong insole sponge. It’s a signature engineering that offers orthopedic level of support and also a high fashion appearance. People often find the shoes comfortable enough to run errands to the grocery store or attend long meetings at work.
2. Reviving Local Artisan Craftsmanship
The Tai Sisters did not rely on mass production factories in the world to produce their items. Rather, they worked closely with their uncle, who had owned a traditional shoe factory and had been in business for more than 20 years. Operating under a lean and direct-to-consumer (DTC) slow fashion model, they maintained a low stock level and ensured each and every pair of shoes was 100% handcrafted by local Malaysian artisans.
3. A Beautiful Love Letter to Malaysian Diversity
The very name of the brand pays direct homage to their home country’s multicultural background. The word breaks down perfectly as a celebration of local unity:
- MA stands for Malay
- CH stands for Chinese
- IN stands for Indian
- O stands for Others
Their design philosophy is reflected in their aesthetics. Traditional Southeast Asian textiles are often used in the brand’s signature motifs, which are instantly recognizable due to their beautiful six-petal Hana flower design. Using real batik, songket, Chinese brocade, and saree lace in contemporary footwear designs, they created a new and rich footwear style that looks out of place on any street in the city.
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Scaling Up: The Road to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List
| Growth Metric | The Pandemic Stage (2020) | The Scaled Expansion Stage (2026) |
| Operational Base | Parents’ living room in Puchong | Flagship boutique in Subang Jaya & KL retail outlets |
| Primary Sales Model | 100% Bootstrap / Online E-commerce | Integrated Omnichannel (DTC Online + Brick & Mortar) |
| Brand Recognition | Local Word-of-Mouth | Forbes 30 Under 30 List Induction |
| Market Footprint | Direct Malaysian Orders | Cross-Border Expansion (Singapore & Beyond) |
Everything began at home with a digital operation and soon attracted institutional retail scouts. The sisters, already established as an e-commerce start-up, became an omnichannel retail player by 2025 when they joined the Endeavor Malaysia Scale Up Cohort. The brand now has physical stores in Putrajaya and Selangor, and has successfully expanded into Singapore, and uses the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools to monitor global style trends and to train their staff.
FAQs
Who are the founders of Machino shoes?
The brand was co-founded in 2020 by biological sisters Esther Tai Shen Hui (who serves as Chief Executive Officer) and Amy Tai Shuh Yuk (who leads marketing and public relations).
What makes Machino shoes different from regular high heels?
Each pair includes an extra-thick internal sponge insole with a very specialized design to reduce joint strain and increase comfort for women who stand and walk for long periods of time.
What does the brand name “Machino” mean?
The name honours the rich cultural diversity among Malaysians, using the acronyms MA (Malay), CH (Chinese), IN (Indian) and O (Others).
