Energy Return Member for Footwear

An article of footwear comprising:

• an upper;
• a sole attached to the upper, the sole including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region;
• and
• a spring plate embedded in the sole, the spring plate including a first cantilever arm, a second cantilever arm, and a central portion, the first cantilever arm and the second cantilever arm extending from the central portion, the first cantilever arm and the second cantilever arm extending from the midfoot region into the forefoot region of the sole.

An article of footwear configured for a foot of a human wearer, the article of footwear comprising:

• a sole including a medial side, a lateral side, a forefoot region and a heel region;
• an upper attached to the sole, the upper and sole defining a foot cavity configured to receive the foot;
• and
• a spring plate positioned within the sole, the spring plate comprising:
• a central member positioned posterior to the forefoot region of the sole;
• a first medial arm extending from the central member to the forefoot region of the sole on a medial side of the sole;
• a first lateral arm extending from the central member to the forefoot region of the sole on a lateral side of the sole;
• and
• at least one posterior arm extending from the central member to the heel region of the sole;
• wherein the first medial arm and the first lateral arm are configured to resiliently deform in response to a force on the sole during a stride of the wearer and resiliently recover in response to the force being removed from the sole.