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A sneaker marketplace built in partnership with trusted independent stores.
Our Story
Sneakers have always been part of our DNA.
We grew up watching the greats — Jordan, Bo, Griffey, Shaq and Penny.
Then Kobe, AI, LeBron, KD, Steph.
The shoes connected us to them.
But when we wore them, they connected us to each other.
Over time, that connection turned into a culture —
one that grew in real places, with real people.
We met in stores and had conversations in lines.
We traded pairs and shared pickups on message boards.
We said "nice kicks" when we recognized a dope pair in the street.
If you knew, you knew.
Then information stopped being something you discovered and became something that chased you.
Platforms promised access.
Hype turned into an industry.
And sneakers became content.
Somewhere along the way, the culture got buried under the noise.
People got tired.
The opportunists moved on.
And they said sneakers were dead.
Sneakers aren't dead.
What's dead is pretending that hype equals culture.
Sneaker culture lives in the conversations you have,
in the shops you trust,
in the stories behind special pairs —
because sneaker culture has always been human.
Friends & Family exists to carry that feeling forward — not by recreating the past, not by chasing trends, but by building a better way for collectors and trusted stores to connect in the present.
About Us
Friends & Family is a curated sneaker marketplace connecting collectors with trusted independent stores. We believe the best sneaker experiences come from real relationships — not algorithms.
The name Friends & Family comes from the highest tier of exclusivity in sneakers. We reimagined it not as a gate kept, but as a connection earned through trust, participation, and being part of the culture.
Friends & Family is built to encourage discovery — new shoes, new stores, and the stories behind them. Founded by collectors who care about where this culture goes next, our focus will always be community over transaction.
Community, Always
Built by collectors, for collectors. A place you want to spend time — not just a place to check out.
Trust Is the Product
We partner exclusively with vetted independent sellers who stand behind their product and process.
Local Matters
We support the shops and communities that built sneaker culture — from the Bay Area to the world.
From the Blog
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The Story Behind Friends and Family
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Building a Marketplace on Trust
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Meet Our Partner Stores
More stories coming soon via our Substack.