nah man, that doesnt make sense to me. Your cracks are all in your heel, if you are going barefoot you're not walking on your heels so that isnt where your callouses should be developing. You have cracks in your feet like that for another reason, it is not going barefoot.
I know of other barefooters with the same cracking. I believe it is normal and it occurs most on your heal because it gets abraded the least. Barefootjaime is right about the positive effects of going barefoot at the beach and the sand abrading the bottom of your foot. I have gone barefoot for many years but also wear shoes to work - maybe the back and forth makes the cracks worse. Maybe it is good being a barefoot purist. However, using the pumice stone really works. If you leave the cracks long enough - fungus may move in. On the other hand, if you like the cracks and it doesn't bother you - leave it alone.
I am going to try this sea salt pastey stuff when I take a bath and then follow it up with lotion. I don't want my feet really soft and not able to take the fact that I go barefoot everyday, but maybe I will do it once a week and see what happens.
A good way to get mediocre medical advice is asking a pharmacist. They have limited knowledge of course but are apt to know what to do sometimes.
Well,I'll tell you barefooters again.If there's a dairy or dairy supply place in your area,for foots sake get thee some "Teat Balm". They use it on-what else-cow teats.Cows have to stand out in the wind,the cold and rain and if the milkers didn't use this stuff,the cows udders would be in bad shape. It inhibits bacterial growth and is very healing. You can feel it soothing your feet as you apply it. OK--I won't mention this again.
your right pounding your bare feet on burning hot pavements and roads year in year out hasn't taken a toll on your body at all. oh yes pounding all that rock-like ground destroys your knees and hips, there's no cushioning that things like sneakers can provide. take care
shut up guy you fool, its wearing shoes that makes you walk incorrectly like a cow, slamming your heel into the ground first, they block the discomfort of walking like that, but dont stop all the shock shooting up your legs and into your spine. On the other hand going barefoot you walk on your toes, one foot in front of the other very softly and carefully, you actually use your ankles to absorb the shock of the ball of the foot hitting the ground (what it is designed to do) because you develop sensitivity in your feet and you know where the ground is (beacuse you cant feel the ground under your feet with shoes on) Have you ever put shoes on a dog before and seen how much it messes them up? its because they use the sensitivity of their feet to feel the ground (like we should) I hardly ever wear shoes as well but my feet have never become cracked or blistered. Which is why im saying dry cracked feet (especially around your heel??) on a barefoot person is not normal.
It frustrates me sometimes the some people speak first without educating themselves on a topic. If he would only read and keep up with modern thinking... This article ran in every major newspaper (in the Parade section) a few weeks ago. It talks about the new discoveries and major health benefits associated with walking and running barefoot and how many people are turning to running with bare feet instead of shoes: http://www.parade.com/health/2010/01/03-barefoot-running.html Please read the article before telling us how bad it is to go around barefoot.
I'm not so sure about that. I found this pic of an Ethiopian soldier who never owned a pair of shoes in his life. Talk about cracks and callouses...
look this only my opinion and my reasoning for my opinion. the great thing is that people can think for themselves. if people want to walk around with bare feet and cracked skin then they can do so - by all means. i walk around in bare feet but not all the time. i wouldn't wouldn't pound the streets in the midday sun in bare feet but i would walk around in the house with bare feet. zola budd (olympic athelete) used to run with bare feet but not everyone is zola budd. if you are saying that because dogs walk around with bare feet we should too we might as well walk on our hands as well.
Full disclosure - I skipped right to the end of this post lol so forgive me if this has been posted. If there is a Body Shop where you live, they make an excellent Hemp cream. It's advertised for hands, but I used it on my heel cracks (I'm generally a bare-foot kind of girl) and it actually does work. You may want to give it a try. I've been using it for about 4 months now and I've seen a big difference.