What should you know about a cracked heel that is painful to walk on?

Dry, thickened skin can split around the heel and expose tender tissue. Standing and walking pull the split wider, particularly when footwear is open at the back or the skin is under repeated pressure. Pain beneath the heel can also come from plantar fasciitis, while pain behind it may involve the Achilles tendon.

A stress fracture, nerve irritation such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, or a child’s growth-related heel problem can create walking pain without being caused by the crack itself. The location, depth, redness, swelling, numbness, and activity pattern help a clinician sort these possibilities.

Wash gently, pat dry, and apply a thick fragrance-free moisturiser to intact surrounding skin. Cover a small clean split with a protective dressing and choose supportive, closed-back footwear. Avoid cutting the hard skin with blades or walking barefoot on rough surfaces.

If the fissure is deep, bleeding, draining, or repeatedly reopening, arrange an examination. Do not place irritating products into an open crack. Custom orthotics may be discussed when foot loading contributes to heel pain; other treatments depend on the underlying cause.

Seek prompt care for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever, worsening pain, or trouble bearing weight. People with diabetes, reduced sensation, poor circulation, or immune problems should seek advice early for any open heel crack because skin damage can become more difficult to manage.

Ask whether the pain is coming from the skin or deeper tissues, whether infection or a stress injury needs exclusion, which moisturiser and dressing fit the wound, and how to reduce pressure while it heals.