RICHIE ROXAS
Words: Nick Santora | Photographer: Deven Cucolo
Location: Philadelphia, PA | Age: 38 | Occupation: Retail
Collection: 500+ pairs of New Balance
When New Balance needs sneakers to display in an exhibit, it calls Richie Roxas. Over the past
twenty years, Richie has amassed one of the most impressive collections in the world, chroni-
cling the evolution of NB sneakers, dating back to the 1970s and continuing through the
latest releases. His archives include over 500 pairs of sneakers, plus an assortment of various
apparel, accessories, posters, catalogs, and assorted ephemera. Richie’s depth of sneakers and
knowledge has earned him a reputation as a trusted brand historian and special consultant. If
you’re looking for an expert on all things New Balance, you’re about to meet him.
Richie’s path to collecting sneakers came through hunting thrift stores for vintage music equip-
ment and instruments. That’s where he began noticing second hand sneakers that he’d never
seen before. His quest to wear styles that nobody else had is what led him to start buying New
Balance and eventually fall in love with them.
Hundreds of pairs and twenty years later, Richie Roxas continues to search out new and old
running sneakers from New Balance and a handful of other prominent running brands. In
this interview, Richie shares some of his greatest hits and stories behind how he acquired
them.