To provide a crosslinked polyolefin foam which has cell structure and surface appearance kept at levels high enough and has an appropriate hardness by specifying the compression strength measured at predetermined density and compression ratio and by decreasing or increasing the max. compression strength with the decrease or increase in density.

The compression strength, measured according to ASTM D1667 at a compression ratio of 30% and a compression speed of 10 mm/min, of the article having a density of 100 kg/m3 or higher is set at 7 N/cm2 or lower, and the max. compression strength is set so that it decreases with the decrease in density and increases with the increase in density. Pref., the gel content of the article, defined as the wt. of an insoluble fraction (a dry extract) of a 50 mg sample prepd. by immersing in 25 ml xylene at 120°C for 24 hr and drying with a molecular sieve, is 30-70%. Pref., the starting compsn. contains at least 20 wt.% essentially linear ethylene homo- or copolymer having a density of about 0.80-0. 96 g/cm3.