Abstract: An outsole for a shoe is formed a thin, flexible, nonporous and inelastic sheet material having a pattern of perforations through it, and a plurality of tread elements of a hard, wear-resistant material molded onto a first side of the sheet material by a process in which the tread forming material is inject through the perforations in a manner such that at least some of the resultant tread elements have anchoring portions extending through the perforations from an opposite second side of the sheet material, a portion of the sheet material around the perforations being held between the tread elements and the anchoring portions. A pattern of treads of various shapes and sizes can be provided in a configuration generally conforming with the sole surface to which the outsole is to be applied, so that a minimum of tread material wastage occurs when the outsole is cut out from the sheet material.