Splits in the skin round the heel may be both embarrassing and painful. This problem is because of the thick or dry skin, on and around the edges of the heels. The skin on your feet will likely be more dry and dehydrated compared to the skin elsewhere on the rest of the body probably because there are no sebaceous glands within the thicker skin on the bottom of the foot. For that reason, the skin around the heels may lose suppleness and resilience due to that deficit of moisture. Because of the stresses of weightbearing, that dried-out skin will start to crack and it can lead to unattractive, painful cracked heels which may at times bleed. There are a number of reasons that increase the chance for this including higher loads, increased bodyweight, unsuitable footwear (particularly footwear which are open at the back), genetics, unhygienic conditions and inadequate footcare, and dietary deficiencies.
To prevent cracked heels, always try to use properly fitted enclosed footwear which allow your feet to breathe and avoid footwear that are open at the back. You should stay well hydrated by drinking at the very least two litres of water each day as that can help. Exfoliate your skin regularly and moisturise every day with a decent ointment. When it is more severe, this should probably be done twice daily in the beginning. There are some suggestions that omega-3 and zinc supplements may help (however they really do need to be used with the other treatment options and not in isolation). It would also help to avoid too much exposure of the foot to water or damp conditions. It is necessary that you rinse your feet with warm water instead of hot water. If these kinds of methods do not help, then see a expert podiatrist to help cracked heels. They can take away the thicker callused skin and give further advice on the way to self manage.