Losing weight, moisturising your feet or most importantly wearing properly fitting, closed shoes and socks can help prevent heels cracking.

To combat dry skin, moisturise your feet when you moisturise the rest of your skin. This provides a protective barrier over your skin and prevents water from escaping and the skin from drying out. It is best to moisturise feet at night so the cream can be absorbed into the skin which will prevent them becoming slippery and sweaty during the day. Wearing a pair of socks after moisturising will help prevent them drying out overnight.

Gently rubbing a pumice stone against the thickened skin on the heel, once the skin is moisturized, may help reduce the thickness of the hard skin and calluses. Be particularly gentle if you suffer from neuropathy or diabetes and avoid foot files or using scissors to cut away dry skin.