In the present technology, a thermally expandable microcapsule complex is blended in a rubber component, the thermally expandable microcapsule complex being obtained by preparing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer having a concentration of 1 to 30 mass %, adding from 5 to 60 parts by mass of cellulose fibers to 100 parts by mass of the aqueous solution to prepare a liquid dispersion (1), adding from 10 to 200 parts by mass of thermally expandable microcapsules to the liquid dispersion (1) to prepare a liquid dispersion (2), and evaporating the moisture content of the liquid dispersion (2).

A layer of cellular material forms a running layer (14A) of a tread (14) in which tread pattern elements (20, 22, 26) are made. In order to form the cellular material, an uncured blank is provided with a mass of material comprising p,p-oxybis(benzenesulphonyl hydrazide) that forms a pore-forming agent. The uncured blank is placed in a vulcanization mold (28) comprising molding elements (30, 32, 34). At least 95% of the molding elements (30, 32, 34) each satisfy the following two conditions: a) the molding element (30, 32, 34) is separated from at least one other molding element (30, 32, 34) by a distance, expressed in millimeters, of less than or equal to
DM=6.85+0.0065T3, T, greater than or equal to 3 phr, being the amount of p,p-oxybis(benzenesulphonyl hydrazide) in the mass of material intended to form the cellular material, b) the molding element (30, 32, 34) is intended to form a tread pattern element (20, 22, 26) having a depth at least equal to 80% of the thickness of the running layer (14A).