The invention is related to a swash plate compressor in which the wear resistance and the lubricating ability of the surfaces of the swash plate which are in contact with the shoes can be enhanced and maintained for a long period of time. In the swash plate compressor, a soft surface coating 21 is formed on sliding surfaces of any of a swash plate or shoes and the coarseness at ten point mean roughness of the surface of the substrate is made to be 8 &mgr;mRz or less, and preferably 5 &mgr;mRz or less, and more preferably 3 &mgr;mRz or less. Even if the soft surface coating 21 is partially worn or exfoliated by a sliding load, since the temperature of the soft surface coating 21 is increased by frictional heat and the soft surface coating 21 is fluidized, the worn or exfoliated portions are repaired. The soft surface coating 21 is preferably composed of a coating layer containing molybdenum disulfide.