I'm not sure how to make them softer but I know how people stop them going really hard.
If you walk around on bear feet all day then your skin becomes hard. Hence people in countries where they do firewalking... this is easy for them because they have hard feet, they have hard feet because they walk around on the ground in bear feet all the time.
Get a foot file! Bit like a cheese grater with a long handle, well I think so anyway! Superdrug do them. Invest in some foot cream, soak your feet for at least 10 mins, then get grating all that soggy hard skin off! Then dry, apply foot lotion and put on some comfy socks :o)
Also you can get foot scrubs, like gel or lotion that have tiny little bits of grit in them, soak foot as above, then get rubbing! Wash off, dry, apply lotion and socks :o)
1. Use a foot file and get rid of the worst.
2. Soak feet in warm water with some foot soak or a little bubble bath for 10 mins.
3. Rub/massage thoroughly with a paste of veg (or any, such as olive) oil and salt.
4. Rinse off and pat dry.
5. To keep soft between times use something like Compeed or Scholl's cream for split or hard skin everyday.
The socks is a good tip. I slather mine in a rich cream (like loads and loads), so skin has absorbed all it can and there is still some left on skin, then put socks on and go to bed.
Not to be advised in roasting hot weather but tonight might be perfect it's peeing down here and none too warm either!
I have a foot file. I soak my feet and file the hard skin away. I then use boots foot lotion to make them lovely and soft. Now i have baby soft feet all year round
I was putting some VASELINE INTESIVE hand cream on one night & as I had put too much, I rubbed some on my feet. The heels were left lovely & soft. Since then it`s my nightly ritual.