To provide a highly heat-resistant brake pad adaptable to high temperatures/high loads and producible only by adding a baking step to the same production process as that for an organic friction material.A friction material comprising a fibrous material, a friction modifier, a binder and an inorganic material, wherein a silicon-containing polymer is blended as a binder and after thermoforming, the polymer is heat-treated in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 160 to 350° C. for 1 to 10 hours to cause crosslinking with oxygen and then, subjected to a baking treatment. As the silicon-containing polymer, one compound or two or more compounds are preferably selected from the group consisting of polycarbosilane, polyorganoborosilazane, polyborosiloxane, polycarbosilazane, and perhydropolysilazane.