Awesome picture from the stock photo service that I use, so I have to write something about cracked heels!
Cracked heels hurt, never look very good and can be a portal for entry for an infection, so they need to be taken seriously. I like the tomato analogy to explain them. The skin around the periphery of the heel splits just like the skin of a tomato skin splits when it is squashed.
We see lots of patients with them. I wish more would take them seriously as they are so easy to self manage. Use a foot file or pumice stone regularly and apply a cream regularly. That its. Do that it will not be a problem.