Abstract: A tread for a tire has a tread pattern embodying a plurality of blocks which are defined by cutouts of longitudinal and transverse general orientation, each block having a contact face and lateral faces, the intersection of each lateral face with the contact face forming a ridge, the ridge(s) which is (are) first to come into contact forming the leading edge of the element, the lateral face intersecting the contact face along the leading edge constituting the leading face, a plurality of blocks having leading faces which a taper at an angle at most equal to 5°. Each block is provided with a plurality of wells opening on to the contact face of said block, the average direction of each well forming an angle &bgr;1 at least equal to 10° with a line perpendicular to said contact face, the wells having average sections of between 0.2 and 12 mm2.