The skin is normally dry and may have a thick callus which appears as yellow or dark brown discolored area of skin, especially along the inside border of the heel. The thickened dry skin around the heel that is more likely to crack is often due to mechanical factors that increase pressures in that area.
Other factors that can be involved in the cause of cracked heels include:
- prolonged standing
- being overweight (this increases the pressure on the normal fat pad under the heel, causing it to expand sideways - if the skin is not supple and flexible, the pressures to 'crack' are high)
- open back on the shoes (this allows the fat under the heel to expand sideways and increases the pressure to 'crack')
- some medical conditions or skin conditions (eg psoriasis and eczema)