A method of forming a pneumatic tire, the method comprising the steps of: providing a green tire carcass comprising a crown region and pair of sidewalls; forming a green tire tread by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a tread base formed of a second material having a substantially higher stiffness property than the first material; wherein step comprises the step of: providing the green tire tread with: (i) a first portion having a first strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; and (ii) a second portion having a second strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; applying the green tire tread to the crown region of the green tire carcass to form a green tire; and vulcanizing the green tire to form a pneumatic cured tire that comprises a tread having: (i) a first shoulder tread element comprising the first strip extending from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the cured tread, wherein the first shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly different from the stiffness property of the first shoulder tread element in case the first shoulder tread element is formed only of the first material; and (ii) a second shoulder tread element comprising the second strip extending from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the cured tread, wherein the second shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly different from the stiffness property of the second shoulder tread element in case the second shoulder tread element is formed only of the first material; and wherein the first shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly greater than the stiffness property of the first shoulder tread element in case the first tread element is formed only of the first material; and/or wherein the second tread element has a stiffness property significantly greater than the stiffness property of the second tread element in case the second tread element is formed only of the first material. providing a green tire carcass comprising a crown region and pair of sidewalls; forming a green tire tread by simultaneously extruding a tread cap formed of a first material and a tread base formed of a second material having a substantially higher stiffness property than the first material; wherein step comprises the step of: providing the green tire tread with: (i) a first portion having a first strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; and (ii) a second portion having a second strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; providing the green tire tread with: (i) a first portion having a first strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; and (ii) a second portion having a second strip of the second material extending from the tread base into the tread cap; applying the green tire tread to the crown region of the green tire carcass to form a green tire; and vulcanizing the green tire to form a pneumatic cured tire that comprises a tread having: (i) a first shoulder tread element comprising the first strip extending from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the cured tread, wherein the first shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly different from the stiffness property of the first shoulder tread element in case the first shoulder tread element is formed only of the first material; and (ii) a second shoulder tread element comprising the second strip extending from the tread base through the tread cap to an outer ground contacting surface of the cured tread, wherein the second shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly different from the stiffness property of the second shoulder tread element in case the second shoulder tread element is formed only of the first material; and wherein the first shoulder tread element has a stiffness property significantly greater than the stiffness property of the first shoulder tread element in case the first tread element is formed only of the first material; and/or wherein the second tread element has a stiffness property significantly greater than the stiffness property of the second tread element in case the second tread element is formed only of the first material.