HUF-founder Kieth Hufnagel grew up skateboarding in the gritty streets of 1980s New York City. He was part of an early street skating generation that came up amongst a melting pot of city countercultures—hip hop, punk, graffiti, streetwear, and other underground movements.

In 1992 Hufnagel moved to San Francisco and became a professional skateboarder, offering him the opportunity to travel the world by means of his skateboard. Wanting to give back to the communities that raised him, Hufnagel opened the first HUF boutique in 2002 on an offbeat block in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, bringing together the most respected skate, streetwear, and sneaker brands under one roof.

HUF quickly came to be recognized as the Bay Area’s institution for hard-to-come-by goods, attracting a new era of skaters, artists, and like-minded creatives. As it grew, Hufnagel launched his own collection, assimilating into one label what he felt epitomized the spirit of skateboarding and street culture.