An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer. The footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The footwear also includes a heel strap having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of end areas and a central area. The end areas are secured to at least one of the upper and the sole structure, and the central area is unsecured to the upper and the sole structure. At least one of the upper and the sole structure define a foot-supporting surface with a raised periphery in at least a heel region of the footwear, and the central area of the heel strap is a contoured area that lays adjacent the raised periphery in the heel region. The strap may be separated from the foot-supporting surface and placed around a heel of the foot.