A shank for an article of footwear including a substantially planar base portion extending within a first plane in the longitudinal and lateral directions and a substantially planar ramp portion designed to absorb footwear loads in a vertical direction, the ramp portion extending, in an uncompressed state, within a second plane that is oblique to the first plane. The base portion and the ramp portion are arranged such that they do not overlap in the vertical direction. A sole assembly is also described and includes an outsole divided into a first portion located at a forefoot portion of the sole assembly and a second portion located at an arch portion of the sole assembly. The second portion is designed to contact the midsole in a compressed state and form a gap between when a load is removed. Related methods of manufacturing are also described.