Young entrepreneur opens a shoe store in Rio Rancho after horrific car accident

RIO RANCHO — A vintage and hype sneaker store has opened in Rio Rancho, offering customers a selection of Jordans, Yeezy shoes, and Nike Air Force 1s, just to name a few.

Rio Retros is the new sneaker business in the Southern Plaza , and owner Noah Sanchez wants to help you find some sweet kicks.

“If we don’t have what someone is looking for, I’ll find it,” Sanchez said. “I had a bunch of friends who were into shoes, and they were saying like, ‘All the other stores are overpriced.’”

Rio Retros sells shoes, cleans shoes, buys shoes and, yes, will trade. They also sell assorted items like vintage clothes and video game consoles.

“We are not going to overcharge people if they don’t know what they are looking at ... we’re negotiable on prices when we buy them,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez was inspired to start a business after losing his right eye.

“I lost my eye in 2020, and from there it was hard to get a job. I applied to different places, but it didn’t work out. Working for other people was really stressful ... I thought, ‘Why not start my own business?’ It’s always been something I have wanted to do, but I just did not know what I wanted to do,” Sanchez said. “I thought it would be a good idea, especially here in Rio Rancho!”

In 2020, Sanchez was the passenger of a BMW M3 that collided with another car. At the time, BMW was recalling vehicles for a malfunction in the air bags that shot plastic and other materials upon impact. Sanchez lost his right eye in the incident and spent most of 2020 in a hospital recovering.

“It might not feel like it, but time heals. Things will always get better,” Sanchez said.

If you would like to reach out to Rio Retros, call 505-712-3208 or follow them on Instagram @rioretrosofficial.

Rio Retros is located at2003 Southern Blvd. SE #117, Rio Rancho.