A contact element for the intermittent contacting of conductor tracks on a circuit board, in particular, for flexible touchpads, for example for flexible input devices in the automobile industry, is made from a metal foam. The metal foam may be at least partly infiltrated by an elastomeric material which can also be the material of construction of the touchpad. The contact element has a very reliable construction which is particularly suitable for high voltage application. A method for production of the contact element, touchpads/input devices with such contact pads and the use of the contact pads is also provided.