I’m the ‘Queen of Toes’ podiatrist — my rules for shoe shopping, including the first thing I do when I buy a new pair

Want to spell footwear shopping for illustration nan pros? No, not manner designers — we mean aesculapian professionals.

Foot surgeon Dr. Yolanda Ragland — who goes by “Queen of Toes” — has immoderate proposal for really to prime footwear that won’t termination your feet.

Speaking to The Post, she shared nan absolute astir important point everyone should beryllium alert of erstwhile it comes to their postulation of pumps, loafers and stilettos — positive a awesome story astir nan champion measurement to break successful a caller pair.

Foot surgeon Dr. Yolanda Ragland — who goes by “Queen of Toes” — has immoderate proposal for really to prime footwear that won’t termination your feet. Dr. Yolanda Ragland

If nan footwear fits

Getting your footwear to fresh mightiness not onshore you a prince for illustration Cinderella, but it could thief forestall early ft damage. 

“Proper fresh is astir apt nan astir important point you tin do for your feet,” Ragland told The Post.

RELATED: The astir comfortable heels, tested by our shopping team

The adjacent clip you spell to a footwear store, fig retired nan shape of your foot: Do you person a level foot, a precocious arch, pronation (inward rolling of nan foot) aliases supination (outward rolling of nan foot)?

“Most fresh made shoes don’t accommodate constrictive aliases wide feet which are common,” she said. “Many group past compensate for width by buying a bigger size erstwhile they request thing shorter but they can’t fresh into it. This tin lead to getting bunions aliases hammer toes and each sorts of ft ailments.”

Sometimes nan old-school methods — specified arsenic utilizing a Brannock device that tin much accurately measurement your feet — are nan best.

Buying heels? Stretch them retired pinch footwear stretchers, not your feet. gstockstudio – stock.adobe.com

Stretch ’em out

No matter nan style, shoe stretchers are your friend. “I person astatine slightest 3 aliases 4 footwear stretchers successful my arsenal,” nan expert said. 

“Whenever I acquisition a caller brace of shoes, heels especially, I put nan stretchers successful and fto them beryllium for a mates of days truthful that they are surgery successful earlier I put my ft into them,” she added.

“You shouldn’t beryllium breaking successful your heels aliases pumps pinch your feet. These are nan champion investments you tin make for your feet.” 

Point to nan issue

Dr. Ragland — whose Fix Your Feet merchandise statement includes compression wraps, sole sticks and ointments — is busting nan story that pointy shoes are ever nan enemy.

“The truth is that it depends connected your ft type,” she said. “Those pinch ace constrictive feet mightiness really fare amended arsenic their large toed and smaller toes archetype person a earthy parabola.”

Have a backup plan

Many podiatrists counsel against wearing heels altogether, but Ragland admits that’s not “realistic.” She does pass against wearing them for 8 hours astatine a clip — aliases wearing them connected concrete. A “safety pair” of shoes you tin gaffe into tin help.

Interestingly, she does pass against stepping barefoot aliases successful ace level flats, particularly if you person fasciitis.