Oo that got my blood boiling when he assumed you were looking for a pair of spinning shoes!

I can relate to your big feet problems, but in a different way. I also have size 10 feet, but mine are very narrow and I ALWAYS have trouble shoe shopping, especially for a sport where you need "snug" shoes. Went through this with snowboarding boots and should have known better when shopping for my first pair of cycling shoes. I actually started with men's shoes (can't remember the brand), then switched to Sidi's, but still men's because for some reason my husband was convinced I was the same length shoe he was and they didn't make that length in women's. So I got the men's in narrow.

I eventually figured out I am a shorter length than he thought and Sidi does make that length in women's. My feet are so much happier now that I have the right fit. YAY!!!

So, I'm sure you are right that you would fit well into men's shoes. Like one of the other posts, I also wonder if your bad experience at this shop might be limited to this one dorky guy. You might want to go in again and see if someone else will give you better service, and if you feel you aren't being treated well again, speak up. Ask to speak to the manager or owner.

When my husband got into cycling, a few years before me, he went to our closest LBS several times until he got tired of feeling like they were "all that" and he was "not". He felt like he had to be a racer for them to take him seriously. Sad for them, because he ended up finding another shop where we have both developed great relationships with the owner and employees and have spent a ridiculous amount of money there. I call the owner the pizza delivery boy, only he delivers bikes and bike parts instead of pizzas.

Anyway, like I said, you might want to try the shop again, since you don't have any other options in your area. See if another sales person will treat you better and complain if they don't.