Not here to comment on the general topic of his post, but to point out that asserting that "none of these graphics contain even a glancing reference to gender" when several include the common symbols for male and female is disingenuous.
Shopping for cycling shoes sucks. I've had the very same experiences, from the poor selection in stores to the differences between instances of the same shoe model from different years. Last time, I got a second pair and told myself it was ok because now I can rotate shoes and let them dry between daily rides like I do with helmets.