Dry and cracked heels are associated with a variety of factors; disease factors such as dry skin and ringworm can cause dry and cracked feet. Of these, ringworm is caused by a fungal infection. In addition, environmental and physiological factors such as falling temperatures and increasing age, and other factors that aggravate mechanical damage to the heel (e.g. long walks and runs, shoes that are too tight, too hard, too rough, etc.) can also cause thickening of the keratin on the foot and cause the symptoms of dry and cracked heels.